The Revolutionary Communist Group co-ordinated with Latin American activists, socialists and solidarity groups to protest against Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on 5 November. Almagro visited London to meet with regime change proponents, representatives of the British state and politicians in Senate House to spread a false narrative about human rights in Venezuela. The action was organised by Rock Around The Blockade, a campaign of the Revolutionary Communist Group, and supported by FRFI SOAS Society, Congreso de los Pueblos – GB, Democracy for Brasil – UK, Comite Lula Livre UK, and Hands Off Venezuela!. The Venezuela Solidarity Campaign were invited but did not attend.
Dozens gathered at Senate House to create a noisy and defiant protest against the gathering of crooks within. Almagro was confronted directly as he entered the building with chants of ‘Almagro, traitor!’, ‘OAS, hear us say, the Bolivarian revolution is here to stay!’ and powerful speeches against capitalism and imperialism. Protesters also condemned the British government and opposition Labour Party’s support for sanctions, and the withholding of $1.3bn of Venezuelan gold by the Bank of England.
Almagro has repeatedly gone beyond even the mandate of the US-dominated OAS in his crusade against Venezuela. He has attacked the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela and promoted regime change by the US, even voicing support for military intervention. This denial of Venezuela’s right to self-determination is based on a pretext of ‘humanitarian’ motives, as Almagro has accused the Venezuelan government of human rights violations and even insultingly compared the situation to the Rwandan genocide.
The truth is that more than 40,000 people in Venezuela have died as a result of US and European sanctions which deny vital medicines and food to the country, costing Venezuela more than $130bn since 2015. The US has sponsored violent right-wing extremists that have committed murder, assassinations and sabotage in an attempt to destabilise the country and sponsored the failed coup attempt by Juan Guaido in February 2019. Imperialism cannot tolerate the struggle of the Venezuelan working class, through the Bolivarian revolution, to gain control of their country’s wealth and direct it towards the building of a socialist society.
Picture: @AhmedKaballo Twitter
The OAS has worked to undermine the Sandinista government in Nicaragua where the US-sponsored opposition has waged a violent campaign of destabilisation for almost two years. Almagro and the OAS have also encouraged the violent opposition in Bolivia against Evo Morales’ progressive government, seeking to undermine the gains of the Bolivian working class and Indigenous people. At Senate House the protesters loudly declared their support for Morales against propaganda and coup plots by the right-wing opposition. The role of Almagro as head of the OAS giving a veneer of legitimacy to crude imperialist schemes cannot go unopposed.
Imperialism out of Latin America!
Hands off Venezuela! Hands off Cuba! Hands off Bolivia!
Victory to the risen people of Latin America and the fight for socialism!
Press reports of the protest:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/06/610564/The-head-of-OAS-greeted-by-protesters-in-London
http://www.radiomundial.com.ve/article/rechazan-en-londres-visita-del-secretario-general-de-la-oea
https://mazo4f.com/un-mal-chiste-asi-rechazaron-presencia-de-almagro-en-londres
