18th Anniversary Of The Us Coup Against Hugo Chavez In 2002

HUGO CHAVEZ INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
FOR PEACE, FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY
HCIF-PFS
EMAIL: [email protected] ; [email protected] ;

15^th April, 2020
Freetown, Sierra Leone. West Africa
Public Release Statement
18th Anniversary Of The Us Coup Against Hugo Chavez In 2002

For the last fifty years, the US government has engaged in acts of overthrowing democracy and constitutional order, and assassination of progress leaders in most countries of the world. Subjecting leaders to such barbarism is indefensible in ordinary times. It is thus clear that the US economic warfare, in the last fifty years had killed millions of people globally.

On the occasion of the 18^th anniversary of the US coup against democracy and constitutional order in Venezuela, we, in the Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity (HCIF-PFS) wish to reiterate our unflinching support to and total solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela in their heroic struggle against the unending and dangerous threat posed by the US thirsts for the blood of Venezuelans.

On this day, we remember and honor the late President Chavez (Peace Be Upon Him) for leading the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela with vision, firmness and courage. President Chavez (Peace Be Upon Him) fully relied on and organized the Venezuelan masses to implement sweeping political and socio-economic reforms that benefit the people, and against the machinations of US imperialism and its stooges aimed at undermining and overthrowing the Chavez government and derailing and defeating the Bolivarian revolution.

We recognize the outstanding and leading role of President Chavez (Peace Be Upon Him) in building and strengthening friendship and cooperation among the Latin-American countries and peoples and in promoting their common national and regional political, social and economic interests especially against the impositions and inroads of imperialist powers.

We salute the Venezuelan people and government for their vigilance, courage and resolve in fighting and frustrating the vile attempts of the local reactionary right wing opposition with the instigation and backing of US imperialism, to subvert and overthrow the Maduro government, a government that the sovereign people of Venezuela had duly elected and mandated to preserve and continue the gains achieved under the leadership of President Chavez (Peace Be Upon Him) .

This year's 18^th anniversary of the April coup 2002 against the legitimate and democratically-elected government of Venezuela, under the leadership of the late el-Commandante Hugo Chavez (Peace Be Upon Him) is taking place amidst the ongoing corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic; a global nightmare that has disrupted many aspects of human lives.

The US government’s repressive measures imposed on the Venezuelan people, designed to abort democracy and constitutional order in the Latin American nation, have continued unabated. At the same time, the Trump administration in particular, has not ceased in its vain attempts to destroy constitutional President Nicolas Maduro. The Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity strongly condemns these actions, as they are in direct contravention to the Charter of the United Nations, basic principles of international law and civilized norms and standards of behaviours. Such policies and practices suit only terrorist outfits.

It is no accident or coincidence that, eighteen years after the US coup against democracy and constitutional order in Venezuela, the Trump administration is once again attempting to foment violence and disorder in order to weaken the Venezuelan government, seize political power through a coup d’etat and reverse the victories and progress of the Bolivarian Revolution.

Washington has erroneously estimated that with using a traitor and willing tool like Juan Guaido, the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela will weaken in a short while, and can be brought down with destabilizing measures such as rumors of shortages, inciting riots and other violent “protest” actions. That by imposing unjust, wicked and unilateral sanctions and other spurious measures, the Venezuelan people will forgone the values and principles instilled in them by the Revolution and cast away the goals of achieving democracy, progress and peace under Socialism. That if a coup is launched against the Bolivarian Revolutionary Government the people will do nothing to protect or defend it and will instead meekly sit and watch, and accept a new regime even if it is reactionary and subservient to US imperialism in Latin America.

The truth is that the leadership qualities exhibited by constitutional President Nicolas Maduro has proven the local reactionaries and US imperialists grossly mistaken. President Maduro took over the reins of government upon the painful assassination of President Chavez on 5 March 2013, and was elected President of Venezuela on 14 April 2013 and re-elected on 20 May, 2018. He ably continued the Bolivarian social policies and programs aimed at improving the lives of the Venezuelan people, especially the workers and peasants, adhered to nationalist economic policies while resisting imperialist neoliberal impositions, and addressed the security and criminality problems.

Thus, the local reactionaries and their US imperialist masters plotted to foment unrest and violence to set the stage for another coup d’état in January, 2019 similar to the failed April 2002 coup attempt. Since then the Venezuelan people have risen up as one and responded to the Bolivarian Revolutionary Government’s call for the people to defend the gains of the Revolution.

The world knows that the crisis in Venezuela was created by the US and its allies who are thirsts for the blood of the Venezuelan people and that country’s natural resources and wealth. Mention any problem, shortages of food, medicines, water, electricity supply, weaknesses in the production sectors, weak currency, etc. These were a creation by the US government.

We, in the Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity, initiated, managed and funded by Africans who share with the Venezuelan people common features in our history, traditions and cultural heritage. We share as well a common aspiration for a world where no country or people can oppress and exploit another, and where peoples can live and prosper together in peace, friendship and harmony.

Thus we admire and respect the unity, courage and patriotism of the Venezuelan people and are inspired by the victories and advances of the Bolivarian revolution. We firmly stand in solidarity the just struggles of the Venezuelan people to resist US imperialist intervention and frustrate the schemes of local reactionaries to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution.

Long live the Bolivarian Revolution!
Long live the Venezuelan and African peoples!

God bless Venezuela!!!
Sender:
Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
Consular-General and President of the Executive Board of Trustees

The Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity