Brazilian Popular Movements support Venezuelan electoral process (+Communiqué)

Published at: 03/04/2024 11:19 AM

Brazilian Popular Movements, through a statement, stand in solidarity with the People of Venezuela and show their support for the Venezuelan electoral process, scheduled for July 28, 2024.

The following is the full text of the letter:

Faced with the controversies related to the Venezuelan electoral process, we would like to express our opinion.

1. Since Hugo Chávez won the elections in 1998, until today, the U.S. government and its oil interests have waged an endless war against the people of Venezuela.

2. They decreed a boycott of the sale of their oil, hijacked foreign accounts, stole funds deposited in several banks and last month they even hijacked a cargo plane belonging to the state company in Buenos Aires, assisted by the Milei government , despite having been legally sold to the Venezuelan company, they took it to Miami and dismantled it, fearing that an international court would order its return.

3. They imposed a puppet president, Mr. Guaidó, who committed a series of crimes, in addition to appropriating more than 50 million dollars, reported by his close friends. Today he lives in the United States, protected by the authorities.

4. Venezuela has a democratic electoral system, which uses electronic voting machines and also has printed votes for verification. It held more than 30 elections during this period. All audited by international electoral judicial authorities, including those of Brazil.

5. In these elections, governors, mayors and deputies opposed to Chavism were elected, without anyone protesting. The campaign against electronic voting machines has been a practice of the extreme right in several countries, including in Brazil.

6. The electoral power is independent and is at the same level as the Judiciary, the Legislative and the Executive. Its members are nominated by society, universities and political parties and appointed by the National Assembly. In the current council, two of the five members were appointed by opposition parties .

7. María Corina Machado, representative of the “Bolsonarista” extreme right, tried to stand in the elections even though she knew that she had already been prevented by the judiciary, six months ago, for crimes of corruption, treason and coup attempts, sponsored by her and her movement, which is not registered as a political party. The Supreme Court reviewed her case and reaffirmed that she was not eligible, as happened with Bolsonaro here.

8. As a propaganda measure, knowing that she was not eligible, at the last moment he nominated Mrs. Corina Yoris, however, this person did not have the support of any political party and did not even submit the requirements to sign 5% of the electoral standard to register in accordance with electoral laws. The electoral board unanimously rejected it. As is often the case here in Brazil.

9. There are 13 candidates registered to compete, 12 of whom are from the opposition, including an opposition governor from the state of Zulia who already ran for President against Hugo Chávez in 2006. A total of 37 political parties participated, 70% of them are in opposition to the government.

10. There is total freedom of the press in the country, with several television stations and newspapers that openly oppose the government, where opponents say what they want. Unlike Brazil, which only has access to television, anyone who defends the ideas of the bourgeoisie, even on international issues .

11. The economic blockade of the United States, the impossibility of spare parts for the oil industry and the fall in exports brought enormous economic difficulties to the population and many of them decided to migrate for economic reasons. As has happened to people in all Latin American countries, just look at the border with Mexico. And like here in Brazil with the thousands of Brazilians who immigrated to the United States and Portugal.

12. In recent years, Venezuela has suffered attempts at military invasion, by sea and through Colombia, which were defeated by public forces, with the full support of the people.

13. President Maduro has suffered assassination attempts, including by drones, which were also prevented and the perpetrators arrested.

14. The people of Venezuela need international justice to return assets abroad, such as their gold reserves, seized by England.

15. The People of Venezuela need an end to the economic blockade and to be able to use their main oil assets to recover the country's development.

16. It is clear that a defamatory campaign organized by the economic interests of the United States, with the bourgeois press from all over the continent, is under way to defame the Venezuelan electoral process and not to accept its results immediately. No government has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of other peoples. And our constitution defends the right to self-determination of peoples.

17. We call on all Brazilian popular movements, unions, political parties, associations of judges and prosecutors to travel to Venezuela and follow the electoral process in situ.

18. We call on all popular movements and the Brazilian left to show solidarity with the Venezuelan people, and to denounce the actions of the American government and its tentacles, inserted in the hybrid war plans, which have been going on for so many years.

19. We call on everyone to be equally supportive of the poor of the United States, with the peoples of Haiti, Palestine, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the African countries of the SAHEL, who face the same interests of the American empire and its European allies. The French Empire is being expelled from Africa after stealing so much natural wealth.

20. For 25 years, the Venezuelan people have been suffering the consequences of the hybrid war imposed by the United States government and its oil companies. And, despite the defeats and difficulties, he always won and will win again.

1. Follow the signatures of popular movements and political parties.

National Confederation of Family Farming Workers of Brazil - Contraf-Brasil

Central of Workers of Brazil - CTB

Brazilian Center for Peace—CEBRAPAZ

Central of Popular Movements-CMP

Center for the Study of African-based Religions - CENARAB

National Coordination of Quilombola Communities-CONAQ

Pastoral Council of Fishermen- CPP

Evangelical Front for the Rule of Law

Popular Youth Uprising — LPJ

World March of Women- MMM

Landless Rural Workers Movement - MST

Artisanal Fishermen's Movement — MPP

Popular Brazil Movement — MBP

Peasant Women's Movement — MMC

Movement of Those Affected by Barragem — MAB

Small Farmers Movement — MPA

Unemployed Workers Movement- MTD

Movement for Popular Sovereignty in Mining - MAM

Rural Workers Movement — MTC

Communist Party of Brazil-PCDOB

Network of Popular Physicians and Physicians- RMMP

Socialist Youth Union-UJS

2. Accessions of personalities and representatives of Brazilian society.

Acilino Ribeiro — leader of the PSB

Ariovaldo Santos, Evangelical Pastor

Beto Almeida, Journalist

Breno Altman, Journalist

Celia Gonçalves, Makota from the villages of Terreiro.

Cesar Silva Fonseca, Journalist

David Stival, former president of the PT-RS, university professor

Eduardo Moreira, businessman and communicator

Friar Sergio Gorgen, Franciscan friar

Georgina de Queiroz, teacher

Guilherme Estrela, geologist at Petrobras

Joao Pedro Stedile, activist in the fight for Agrarian Reform.

José Reinaldo Carvalho, Journalist, President of Cebrapaz

Júlio Flávio Gameiro Miragaya, economist

Leila Jinkings, Journalist

Luis Sabanay, Presbyterian Pastor

Marcelo Barros, Benedictine Monk

Maria Luiza Busse, ABI Journalist

Mario Vitor Santos, Journalist

Monica Buckmann, university professor

Ney Stronzake — Attorney

Nilza Valeria, Journalist

Oswaldo Maneschy, Journalist

Paulo Miranda, Director of Brasília Community TV

Pedro Augusto Pinho, former president of AEPET and of the Permanent Corps of the Escuela Superior de Guerra

Roberto Requião, former governor, and former senator of the State of Parana

Rosana Fernandes, General Coordinator of the Florestan Fernandes National School

Sandra de Barreto, sociologist

Socorro Gomes, former Federal Deputy for the PCdoB and director of international relations at Cebrapaz

Valter Pomar, member of the PT's National Directory

Lucinha Barbosa, Secretary of Popular Movements of the PT

Airton Faleiro, Federal Deputy - Para

Dilson Marcom, Federal Deputy - PT-Rio Grande do Sul

Joao Daniel, Federal Deputy- PT Sergipe

Marina del MST, State Representative - PT-Rio de Janeiro

Messias, State Representative -PT Ceara

Orlando Silva, Federal Deputy- Pcdob São Paulo

Rosa Amorim, State Representative - PE-Pernambuco

Valmir Assunção, Federal Deputy- PT-Bahia

Mazo News Team