The US attack in January sparked a response across the world. The Revolutionary Communist Group, as part of the British chapter of the Anti-fascist International (AFI), was among those who took to the streets. The AFI was born out of Caracas in 2024, when Venezuela hosted a series of anti-fascist conferences aimed at building an international coalition dedicated to opposing fascistic, imperialist violence that threatens Venezuela, Cuba, Palestine and the working class all over the world. Heeding the call, the British chapter formed in 2025 as a coalition of socialist and anti-imperialist organisations with a long history of organising in solidarity with Venezuela in Britain.
On 3 January, AFI immediately mobilised hundreds of people to march on the US embassy, defend the Bolivarian Revolution, demand the return of Maduro and Flores and denounce the imperialist invasion. Our open platform was taken up by dozens of organisations including Plataforma 12 de Octubre, Communist Party of Great Britain – Marxist Leninist, Revolutionary Communist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Your Party and the Lewisham and Greenwich branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The self-described leaders of the Venezuela Solidarity movement, the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (VSC), however, were nowhere to be found.
The VSC, led by Chilean academic Francisco Dominguez, not only refused to participate in organising a demonstration directly following the attack, but also refused to endorse it, mobilise for it, or even acknowledge that it happened altogether. When the VSC, along with CND and Stop the War coalition (STW) finally called a demo for 5 January, two days after the imperialist attack – but more importantly, once MPs were back from their parliamentary recess – they outright refused to let anyone from the AFI speak on their platform and demanded that the RCG not make any public criticism of the Labour Party MPs that they invited to speak at the event.
Speakers at the demo included the usual suspects: Francisco Dominguez, Jeremy Corbyn, and as many trade union leaders as they could muster together. Every statement was limited to ‘Trump is a bogeyman’ and ‘Keir Starmer is a spineless lapdog’, intentionally diverting attention from British imperialism and covering for the racist imperialist Labour Party. Despite these efforts, when Labour MP Richard Burgon stepped onto the platform, heckles and chants of ‘leave the Labour Party!’ erupted from the crowd and continued throughout his speech.
The VSC and CND were quick to blame the RCG for the spontaneous demonstration of outrage. Particularly egregious in his attacks was Francisco Dominguez’ apparent henchman Charley Allan, who accused us of being ‘rogue operators’ sewing disunity and likening our participation in heckling the Labour Party to ‘a betrayal of everything the Bolivarian Revolution and President Chavez stands for’. These attacks are no surprise coming from someone whose career is dedicated to lobbying for increased funding for the racist British police, border guards and prison screws. At the next and final demonstration called by the VSC, they again refused to let the AFI speak and platformed two Labour MPs. The AFI nonetheless mobilised people to attend, and in contrast to the VSC’s tired, apolitical speeches, we set up an open platform where comrades from the coalition and members of the crowd delivered sharp anti-imperialist speeches and led electric, militant chants.
Building the momentum of the movement that the opportunists are eager to let die, the RCG and AFI pushed forward organising events that confronted the role of British imperialism. On 7 January, the RCG picketed The Guardian and Rolls Royce head offices in London and on 24 January, we picketed the BBC. The Guardian, as a so-called ‘left’ newspaper, and the BBC as a well-known imperialist mouthpiece, both consistently attack the Bolivarian revolution and its elected leader Maduro. Rolls Royce, as a British arms manufacturer, produces parts of the F-35 jets used by the US in its attack.
Countering imperialist lies and propaganda, the RCG hosted an international webinar on 14 January titled ‘Hands off Venezuela!’. People tuned in to hear from Chavistas Cira Pascual Marquina and Jorge Vilalta reporting live from one of many mass street mobilisations taking place in Caracas in support of Maduro. FRFI’s Venezuela correspondent Sam McGill spoke about the role of imperialist Britain, explaining the necessity of defending the Bolivarian revolution as socialists. With an open Q&A and political discussion, attendees were able to contribute and build for future solidarity actions.
Meanwhile, the VSC has hosted one sleepy webinar with no room for questions or political discussion. Worse still, their so-called leaders have appeared on platforms to regurgitate imperialist propaganda. On 22 January, Chris Nineham, founding member of STW, openly stated at a Counterfire public meeting in Glasgow that ‘Maduro is an undemocratic dictator who does not benefit the working classes of Venezuela’.
Our task as communists, socialists and anti-imperialists is to expose them, combat them, and build a movement with the political character required to challenge the British state and its loyal defenders. It is of utmost importance that we continue filling the streets in protest against imperialist intervention in Venezuela and in support of their fight for socialism. At every protest, the RCG flies the flag of Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine. We recognise these are people on the front line of the global struggle against imperialism, and we must stand behind them, from the belly of the beast!
