Following the connections made during the 2012 delegation to Venezuela, we have recieved this update from the Youth of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (JPSUV) giving their perspective on the situation in Venezuela following his emergency surgery.
December 9th: Chavez announces that he needs to go through another surgery
As it is known, on December 9th 2012, Commander President Hugo Chavez publicly informed the country and the world that he had to go back to Cuba. He would have to go through surgery, as new cancer cells have appeared in his body.
For the President to leave, the National Assembly approved an unlimited permission. It is important to account that even the opposition voted in favor of this “unlimited” constitutional permission.
Since then, the political opposition to our Bolivarian government has taken advantage over the situation in order to destabilize the country. They do not take into consideration that Chavez was solidly re-elected for a new 6 year-term and the PSUV won 20 out of 23 governorships.
January 10th: Hugo Chavez is the “people” and the people swear-in for Chavez.
Regarding the swearing-in day, the opposition tried to create a negative and atmosphere calling for violence. But the Constitution and the recent interpretation of the Supreme Court have been clear in that Article 231 is completely valid. This article recites: “The President must swear-in on January 10th of his or her first year term and, If an unexpected situation occurs, he or she can swear-in later at the Supreme Court”. As we can see, there is no specific time established.
Furthermore, tens of thousands of supporters gathered in Caracas on January 10th for a massive rally in support of Venezuelan Commander President Hugo Chavez, and in response to the controversy surrounding his absence. A seemingly endless sea of red-clad supporters filled the streets surrounding the presidential palace and the adjoining areas in a very festive atmosphere, many holding posters of Chavez, and signs that read “I am Chavez” and “Chavez is the heart of the people”, among others.
That Day, Vice President Nicolas Maduro and other 27 State officials arrived to the rally in the early afternoon accompanied by Bolivian President Evo Morales, Uruguayan President José Mujica, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, as well as several other diplomats and leaders from other Latin American and Caribbean countries.
One by one, the Latin American leaders addressed the concentration with emotive speeches in support of the Chavez government and calls for solidarity with the ailing president.
“Who said Hugo Chavez is absent? He is present here among the women, the farmers. Chavez is not only the patrimony of Venezuela, but of all Latin America”, said former Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo.
Bolivian President Evo Morales stressed the importance of Chavez´s government for the unity among Latin American countries, and called for more rallies in support of the President throughout the region.
“My friends, the situation of our brother Hugo Chavez is not only a concern of the Venezuelan people, but of all those who are a part of this struggle,” he said. “The best tribute and solidarity with Chavez is unity, let’s keep unity between our countries.”
Several leaders of Caribbean and Central American countries also addressed the rally with strong messages of solidarity and support for the Chavez government.
“We are fervently supporting Venezuela, and we are here to say to our friend, Vice President Maduro that although your leader is going through a difficult time, you can count on Dominica as a reliable friend,” said the President Eliud Williams.
“Venezuela has converted itself into that guiding light for Latin America that the Cuban Revolution was in the 1960s,” said Vice President of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Cerén.
Various foreign leaders expressed their amazement with the size of the concentration, and Chavez´s government great capacity for mobilization.
“I want to say that this gathering of Chavez supporters is really enviable, this capacity for mobilization that you have,” said Evo Morales.
“This is the largest concentration of people that I have ever addressed in my life,” said the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves.
Finally, that day, Elias Jaua was designated as the new Minister on Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
January 23th: Another Rally Support
Bearing in mind that President Chavez is still in Havana recovering from surgery, and considering that the opposition continues its interest in destabilizing the country, the government decided to call for another rally.
This time a rally was called for to celebrate the January 23th date, which is a historic revolutionary day in which the people ousted the criminal dictatorship of Gen. Perez Jimenez in 1958. On that day, once again the people of Venezuela demonstrated in which hands rest the destiny of the country. Thousands of Chavistas took the main streets of the Capital, Caracas, while the opposition just gathered a small event in a closed gym.
The newly appointed Secretary of State of USA, John Kerry, said last week that “a transition in Venezuela would be a convenient situation”. This is a continuation to recent statements made by the Secretary for the South Hemisphere, Roger Noriega who said that they don´t expect too much from the opposition leadership, so US will be directly involved in Venezuela´s future.
This is an unacceptable and dangerous declaration that demonstrates that the U.S is going to do whatever action necessary to control Venezuela, as well as the oil reserves, considered the biggest in the world. We must clarify that in the past, when they managed our oil industry, our reserves were registered as carbon, and that is the reason why, historically, Saudi Arabia was known as having the biggest reserve.
January 26th: CELAC Summit
Venezuela is considered to have created what we call the “Integration Security Rings” for Latin America. The first integration ring is the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America (ALBA), the second is the Common South Market (MERCOSUR) and the third is the South American Union (UNASUR).
In this sense, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), is biggest integration group in which our Nations participate. It is the first time in which Latin American countries meet entirely without the presence of the US and Canada and it is considered to be our biggest security ring.
So when we realized that in its first meeting as Pro Tempore President, Chile unilaterally called for a joint Summit with Europe, we knew that they were trying to avoid the discussions of the most urgent issues of our continent.
What comes NEXT?
Commander President Hugo Chavez has sent instructions to the Vice President, Nicolas Maduro in 4 lines:
1.-) He insisted in not to rest upon the permanent destabilizing conspiracy made by the rightist in Venezuela in connection with US imperialism.
2.-) He called in to face the lies with the permanent truth. We must show the continuation and deepening of socialism, through the creation of jobs made by the Revolution.
3.-) Keep the popular mobilizations, including the 14th anniversary of the Revolution on February 2nd; the 21st anniversary of the Civil-Military insurrection in 1992 on February 4th, the Venezuelan Youth Day February 12th; the anniversary of the social and popular explosion of 1989, known as “El Caracazo” on February 27th, and other national and international events.
4.-) To congratulate and urge the Deputies, Governors and other leaders to keep working with the most strict efficiency.
In this sense, It is necessary to stay alert on Venezuelan´s current situation, and to activate the more solid international solidarity, as we have observed in recent months, and keep in permanent communication!
Finally, we have to say that Venezuela and our government continues moving forward constantly and peacefully to the creation of the Bolivarian Socialism of the XXI Century (Socialism under Venezuelan caracteristics). Our country continues the way of universalization of free medium and higher education (2 in Latin American and 5th on the planet, having more than 9 million students of 29 millions unhabitants), health, sports, cience and technology. Our economy, in the framework of capitalist crisis is over 5% and our finantial situation is healthy and getting stronger. Nevertheless, the eyes of the revolutionaries in the world must be in permanent alert to movilize and solidaridize for Venezuela.
As we say in Venezuela “Independence, Homeland and Socialism. We will live and overcome”.
Xoan Noya
Coordinator of International Relations
Youth of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (JPSUV)
@JuventudPSUV
@Xoannoya
