In respect of the current Trump inspired and organised attempted coup de'etat in Venezuela it is illegal under international law, illegitimate under any democratic measure and immoral politically. Trump represents darkness. Maduro represents democracy.
Venezuela is a democratic country with a highly motivated electorate empowered by the Chavista movement from 1998 against the powerful and very rich elites in Venezuela who for several decades had ran the country as their personal paradise with ownership of businesses, newspapers, television companies and the oil company providing the minority with incredible comfort, wealth and power while almost 20% of the population struggled to survive in extreme poverty and 45% lived in general poverty. In a country with the largest oil reserves in the planet, such statistics were shameful and, to many, unacceptable.
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Not only was Chavez elected against the odds he was re-elected and involved the country in a mass re-writing of the Venezuelan constitution to recognise rights to education, health, housing and jobs, all things the elites had ignored for years. From 1998, according to the National Electoral Council in Venezuela, the proportion of the adult population registered to vote rose from 80% to 95% in 2011. The adult voting population rose from 12 million in 2003 to 19 million by 2012. Extreme poverty and general poverty was cut in half, millions on new homes were built, healthcare was made available to everyone and illiteracy was abolished through improved education.
Yet 46% of the adult voting population ignored the well-financed boycott campaign and went to the polls. Just over 6.2 million Venezuelans cast their vote for Nicolas Maduro. Two opposition candidates who also ignored the boycott call secured 1.9 million and 983,000 votes respectively. Maduro won 67.8% of the votes cast which equates to 31.7% of the eligible voting population. That is far from an illegitimate mandate.
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Across the region similar democratic deficiencies in relation to Maduro are present. Mauricio Macri in Argentina won 51% of the votes cast in Argentina's Presidential election of 2015 which represented only 26.8% of the eligible voting population. Sebastian Pinera was elected President of Chile with 54.6% of the votes cast in 2017 but his 3.7 million votes represent only 26% of all the eligible voters in his country. President Santos in Colombia was elected in 2014 with 50.95% of the votes cast but won only 23.7% of the eligible voting population.
What exactly is Juan Guaido's democratic mandate to be recognised as President of Venezuela? How many times has he stood for President and how many votes did he poll last May? The answer is never and none. Guaido has never stood for President of Venezuela and therefore has not a single jot of democratic legitimacy.
Yet if you watched, listened to and read the Western press and media over the last two weeks, not one station or outlet has made that obvious and crucial point. Juan Guido is a puppet of American imperialism, nothing more and nothing less.
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Venezuela is a democratic country, Saudi Arabia isn't. Venezuela isn't committing war crimes, Saudi Arabia is in Yemen. Venezuela doesn't sponsor terrorism; Saudi Arabia does in several countries through financial support for Islamic extremists. Venezuela doesn't execute political dissidents; Saudi Arabia does including women and children. Venezuela has massive oil reserves not under American economic control, yet, Saudi Arabia also has massive oil reserves but they are under American economic control and there lies the solution to the puzzle.
Don't just believe me on that assertion, listen to or read the words of the American envoy of US supported puppet and patsy Juan Guiado. On his behalf Carlos Vecchio told Bloomberg in Washington: "We want to go to an open economy, we want to increase oil production… The majority of the oil production that we want to increase will be with the private sector".
Music to the ears of U.S. oil giants Exxon Mobil, Chevron Corporation, Occidental Petroleum and others, the real rulers of America. Despite the chorus of approval from the mainstream press and media for the undemocratic ousting of Nicolas Maduro every socialist, trade unionist and democrat on the planet should be prepared to take the side of those opposing American imperialism.
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The Charter of the United Nations is clearly being abused by the U.S. and other nations in their recognition of an unelected and therefore wholly illegitimate individual as the President of Venezuela. Article 2.7 is clear:
7. Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter.
The current situation in Venezuela is very volatile. Maduro has the backing of at least 6.2 million voters and the majority of the army. America has sent 5,000 troops to Colombia which borders Venezuela. That is an act of provocation and aggression but Maduro and his supporters are refusing to be cowered or bullied by U.S. sponsored threats and troop movements. They are standing firm and have the support of many countries which is steadfastly ignored by the biased media. Not just Russia, China, Turkey and Iran but Mexico, Bolivia, Nicaragua and many others refuse to join the illegal U.S. bandwagon.
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The Tories have typically sided with Trump but I am disappointed so far not to hear strong condemnation of U.S. actions from the SNP in Scotland. If they side with Trump on this issue they will abandon the rule of law in international affairs and line up beside a dangerous tyrant in the shape of Trump. They must make a stand for democracy, the rule of law and sovereignty of nations by recognising Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate and democratically elected President of Venezuela.
Watch me address a Solidarity meeting in Glasgow this week in support of Maduro and the people of Venezuela who elected him democratically
#HandsOffVenezuela
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.