End the Siege on Venezuela: Let the Venezuelan People Rebuild in Peace

The Venezuelan people are once again facing immense suffering. The twin earthquakes of June 24, 2026, have left families mourning loved ones, thousands without homes, and entire communities struggling to rebuild their lives. Every progressive, anti-imperialist and justice-loving person should stand in full solidarity with the people of Venezuela during this painful time.

Natural disasters do not choose their victims. They strike ordinary workers, peasants, students, children and the elderly. They destroy homes, schools, hospitals and roads. But what makes the Venezuelan tragedy even more painful is that these earthquakes did not strike a nation living in peace. They struck a country that has already been subjected to years of relentless economic warfare, political aggression and foreign intervention.

The Venezuelan people are not only fighting against the forces of nature. They have also been forced to endure what many around the world see as an unending campaign of imperialist hostility led by the United States. For years, Washington has imposed harsh sanctions that have crippled Venezuela's economy, blocked access to financial markets, disrupted oil exports and made it difficult for the country to buy medicine, food, machinery and essential goods.

Sanctions are often described as "peaceful measures." They are nothing of the sort. They are weapons. Their purpose is to make ordinary people suffer until they lose faith in their government. Hospitals struggle to obtain medical supplies. Infrastructure cannot be repaired. Economic development is slowed. The poor suffer the most while those who impose these measures sit comfortably thousands of kilometres away.

Now, after the devastating earthquakes, the cruelty of maintaining these sanctions has become even more obvious. A country cannot effectively rebuild while its wealth remains frozen abroad and while its economy remains under siege. Reconstruction requires money, equipment, investment and freedom to trade. None of these can be fully achieved while economic blockades remain in place.

The Venezuelan people deserve the chance to recover with dignity. They should not be forced to beg for permission to use their own resources. Venezuela's oil belongs to Venezuela. Its national wealth belongs to the Venezuelan people. Its overseas assets should be returned immediately and without conditions. There can be no moral justification for withholding billions of dollars belonging to a nation that is trying to rescue survivors, rebuild homes and restore essential services.

Even more disturbing is the continued imprisonment of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Their detention represents, in the eyes of many supporters of Venezuelan sovereignty, a direct assault on the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own political future. No foreign power has the right to remove the leadership of another sovereign nation through force or coercion.

History has repeatedly shown that imperialism often uses moments of crisis to deepen its control over weaker nations. Humanitarian language is too often used to disguise political and military objectives. Across Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, powerful countries have repeatedly claimed to be delivering freedom, democracy or humanitarian assistance, only to leave behind destruction, instability and foreign domination.

Venezuela must not become another example of this tragic pattern.

The international community must remain vigilant. Disaster relief must never become a cover for military occupation, political manipulation or economic exploitation. Genuine humanitarian assistance should respect Venezuela's sovereignty and be coordinated in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, the country's own institutions.

The struggle of Venezuela is not an isolated one. It forms part of a much broader struggle taking place across the Global South. For centuries, powerful nations have extracted resources from developing countries while denying them the freedom to control their own destinies. Whenever a country attempts to chart an independent path, it often faces sanctions, destabilisation campaigns or even direct intervention.

Yet history also teaches another lesson. The peoples of the world have never surrendered quietly. From the liberation movements of Africa to the revolutions of Latin America and the anti-colonial struggles of Asia, ordinary men and women have resisted foreign domination with remarkable courage. Venezuela stands within this long tradition of resistance.

Today, international solidarity is more important than ever. Workers' organisations, youth movements, progressive political parties, churches, academics and peace activists must raise their voices against collective punishment. They must demand an end to policies that prolong suffering instead of helping recovery.

The demands are clear, and they are just. First, all sanctions against Venezuela must be lifted permanently and without delay. A country recovering from natural disaster cannot be expected to rebuild while facing economic warfare. Second, Venezuela's oil revenues must be returned to its government so that they can be used to rebuild homes, hospitals, schools, electricity networks and public services.

Third, all Venezuelan assets frozen overseas, including billions held in foreign banks and financial institutions, must be immediately released. These resources belong to the Venezuelan people, not foreign governments. Fourth, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores should be released immediately so that the Venezuelan leadership can participate fully in rebuilding the nation.

Finally, every government must reject any attempt to use humanitarian assistance as a pretext for military intervention or foreign occupation. Respect for sovereignty remains one of the fundamental principles of international law. This is not merely a Venezuelan issue. It is a question of justice. It is about whether powerful nations have the right to punish entire populations because they disagree with their political choices. It is about whether national sovereignty still means anything in today's world. It is about whether international solidarity is genuine or selective.

The earthquakes have tested the resilience of the Venezuelan people. But their greatest challenge remains the political and economic siege that has surrounded their country for years. Removing that siege would save lives far more effectively than speeches expressing sympathy while maintaining punitive measures.

The people of Venezuela have demonstrated extraordinary courage through economic hardship, political pressure and now natural disaster. They deserve respect, not punishment. They deserve solidarity, not coercion. They deserve reconstruction, not occupation.

Those who truly care about human rights should demand policies that reduce suffering rather than deepen it. Those who believe in justice should oppose collective punishment. Those who believe in peace should reject intervention and support the sovereign right of Venezuela to determine its own future.

The road to recovery begins with ending the blockade. It begins with returning Venezuela's stolen wealth. It begins with respecting the will of the Venezuelan people. And it begins with recognising a simple truth: no nation can rebuild while another power keeps its foot on its neck.

The call before the world is therefore urgent and uncompromising. End the sanctions. Return Venezuela's wealth. Respect its sovereignty. Allow its people to rebuild their nation in peace, dignity and freedom.

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