Tag: sanctions

    M’membe’s full statement on Maduro

    M’membe’s full statement on Maduro

    January 10, 2019 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    Comrade Nicolás Maduro Moros President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela.

    Comrade Nicolás,

    Receive our warm revolutionary congratulations from the Socialist Party (Zambia) on this day when you are assuming reigns for the second term of office to lead the great nation of Simon Bolivar.

    As a true Chavista, you have continued to pursue the Bolivarian socio-economic agenda crafted under the guidance of late president Hugo Chavez Frias despite a wave of economic and financial sanctions from the empire, including harsh rhetoric bordering on military intervention from those occupying the White House and their lackeys.

    Comrade Nicolás, yours is not an enviable job for the weak much less with a series of salvo you receive from imperialists. But for us who espouse people centred-development, we can firmly assure you that you are not alone.

    What the Bolivarian Revolution has achieved since assuming power in 1999 to date cannot be compared to the previous right-wing administrations that pretended to have been administering the affairs of that great nation for Venezuelans. For centuries, Venezuelas oil and gold was a preserve for the capitalist North.
    The anger coming from transnational corporations and their fronts in Washington is nothing but a result of frustrations and hunger for Venezuelan natural resources that have been socialised/nationalised by the Bolivarian Revolution. The benefits are all there
    to see: housing infrastructure, medical facilities, literacy campaign and building of polytechnic institutions, including massive investment in sport. How else was Venezuela expected to rebound from centuries of a raped economy at the hands of capitalists other than implementing radical reforms as undertaken by the Chavistas?
    This is what the Bolivarian Revolution has undertaken to do: Free health care in poor urban and rural neighborhoods (Mission Barrio Adentro), expanded access to education, literacy programms for the elderly (Mission Robinson) and cheap food markets (Mission Mercal). Under housing, you have Mission Habitat which later was updated to Mission Viviendas and then Mission Zamora an integrated land reform and land redistribution programme where several large landed estates and factories have been or are in process of being expropriated to stimulate the agricultural sector, create economic activity and redistribute wealth to the poor. Instead of receiving accolades, it has been sanctioned, economically strangled for standing up to capital!
    Capitalists abhor governments that empower citizens, administrations that put man at the centre of any developmental paradigm.
    With the Chavistas in government, OPEC consolidated itself and we remember how well you utilized proceeds to uplift the standards of your people; the hardworking sons and daughters of Bolivar.
    At the time when global petroleum prices rose beyond US$100 per barrel, the Bolivarian Revolution opted for solidarity measures through PetroCaribe and PetroSur, to cushion Caribbean and Central American nations that depend on oil for all forms of energy requirements. This included subsidizing US citizens during harsh winter days.
    Without preferential oil trade for the Caribbean region and parts of South America, on top of dwindling remittances, none of those almost 20 countries would have a semblance of an economy during and post 2008 global financial and economic meltdown that originated in the US.
    Apart from the noble citizens of these Caribbean and South/Central American states, no one wants to laud this priceless gesture to humanity.
    Global capitalists loathe initiatives that makes man strong. Capital hates universal dignity, it discourages any attempts at distributing wealth to all because such destroy niches that imperialists depend on for survival and exploitation. We have followed the Bolivarian Revolutions path towards Western Hemisphere integration, right from formation of UNASUR to founding of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean States (CELAC), the only body for independent hemispheric States excluding the US and Canada.
    The significance of Venezuela to the stability of the Americas is huge.
    If saving humanity makes us pariahs in the eyes of imperialist, let it be so. Theres no coming back. Socialism is not only an alternative to neo-liberalism, it is the only solution to the socio-economic challenges facing humanity today.
    As we join you and the Venezuelan people on this inauguration day that is being celebrated by all progressive movements and leftist parties around the world we are reminded of Comrade Raul Castro’s words at the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution that: The greatest lesson that revolutionaries and progressive movements can draw from the situation that has shaped is that of never neglecting unity with the people, and not desisting in the struggle in defense of the interests of the oppressed, however difficult the circumstances.

    Comrade Nicolas, congratulations

    Dr Fred Mmembe Socialist Party (Zambia) presidential candidate for 2021 and Deputy General Secretary

    Socialist Party denounces IMF’s political, economic war against Venezuela

    Socialist Party denounces IMF’s political, economic war against Venezuela

    August 1, 2018 by Socialist Party Zambia in
    We have no doubt the announcement last Monday by the International Monetary Fund that Venezuela’s inflation could top one million per cent by the end of the year is part of the economic and political war being waged against the Bolivarian Revolution.
    It’s intention is revealed by its timing. This is intended to destroy any hope in the possibility  of a reversal of economic fortunes in that country.
    The IMF says the projections are based on calculations prepared by its staff, but warns that they have a degree of uncertainty greater than in other countries, “any changes between now December may include significant changes”.
    Why make such a very serious statement with very devastating consequences on a country on such admittedly uncertain projections? The intention is to further strangulate Venezuela.
    One just needs to consider a few glaring facts, extrapolate and use a bit of common sense to understand the nature, extent, principals and accomplices in this economic and political war being waged against Venezuela and their modus operandi.
    We have not forgotten the scarcities that were introduced in an attempt to topple president Hugo Chavez after their coup of 2002 failed.
    We have also not forgotten the  Obama decree declaring Venezuela a threat to United States national security and its intentions.
    And Trump’s threats of military intervention and his financial sanctions against the Venezuelan oil industry are still ringing in our ears.
    The purpose of all these pronouncements is to send signals to those still  doing business with Venezuela to pull out.
    And this is what the International Monetary Fund is today trying to compound, escalate.
    There’s an unending campaign to discredit the Venezuelan government and President Nicolas Maduro.
    In short, there is a political motive behind the International Monetary Fund’s one million per cent inflation projections announcement.
    We denounce all these measures that seek to overthrow the legitimate Government of President Maduro and plunder the resources of Venezuela.
    In the face of ongoing attempts to depose the elected government of President Maduro and annihilate the Bolivarian Revolution, the Socialist Party (Zambia) reaffirms its support and solidarity with the Venezuelan people, their government and the Bolivarian Revolution.
    The effects of the ongoing economic war against Venezuela is the main reason for inflation. They hope that this economic strangulation  may help turn the revolution’s base against the government. They purposely exaggerate the scale of the economic problems, while ignoring  the causes of this  problem.
    For these reasons, the Socialist Party (Zambia) makes clear its opposition to the economic and political war being waged against Venezuela to overthrow the Maduro government and annihilate the Bolivarian Revolution.
    The Socialist Party (Zambia) rejects any foreign intervention in Venezuela and calls on the International Monetary Fund to immediately halt its campaign against  Venezuela, which only seeks to aggravate the economic situation.
    The Socialist Party views  the Bolivarian Revolution not only as a profound anti-capitalist struggle, but as a spearhead in the  global fight for a better world whose defeat would set back the peoples’ struggle not only in Venezuela but more broadly.
    Now is the time to demonstrate our solidarity with Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution and defend the Maduro government against this imperialist  economic and political war.
    —————————————-
    Dr Fred M’membe is a journalist, an accountant, a lawyer with a Master’s degree in taxation and member of the International Bar Association’s taxes committee, an economist with a Master’s degree in economic policy management and holds a doctorate in Business Administration.