Decoding the True Messages of Latin America’s Left

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On July 31, Honduras Foreign Minister Enrique Reina issued an important statement on behalf of the island with regards to developments in Venezuela, which read in full as follows: “The government of Honduras condemns any attempted coup d’etat in Venezuela — and the use of force by violent groups, calling for respect for the institutions and sovereign will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls.”

Bolivia's former President Evo Morales holds an Indigenous staff during a rally with supporters in El Alto, Bolivia, July 26, 2024 It goes on to say that, “the electoral process was peaceful and had wide participation. We have recognised the announcement by the electoral authority of an irreversible trend, the only authority responsible for concluding the process of counting…”

And adds that “the international campaign launched before, during and after to ignore elections, loaded with fake news and resulting from those who were not present in the process, is not impartial.”

It concludes: “We have to wait for the total analysis and declaration from the electoral authority,” and warns that “we must not forget the shameful precedent of recognising [Juan] Guaido as an illegitimate, illegal and non-existent president. For purely ideological reasons.”

This new statement followed on from Honduras’s elected President Xiomara Castro quickly recognising the official election authority (CNE)-announced results in Venezuela, congratulating the incumbent Nicolas Maduro on his “victory that reaffirms Venezuela’s sovereignty.”

This strong intervention from Honduras, a country which suffered horrendously after its own US-backed, right-wing 2009 coup and didn’t then restore a progressive president until 2021, follows similar warnings from former Bolivian president Evo Morales earlier in the week.

Morales of course knows better than most how, in Latin America, right-wing, US-backed coups have developed to a similar pattern in recent years.

In 2019, with initial and official electoral declarations — later proven to be fully correct — indicating he had been re-elected, the US-backed opposition in Bolivia mobilised domestically and internationally to undermine the outcome, with much of the international media repeating their lines unquestioningly.

Morales was then ousted from power through a coup, and an “interim” far-right and unelected regime put in place, which was then recognised by the US. During just a short time in power, the coup regime caused great social and economic damage — in addition to massive, deadly repression of its trade union, left and social movements.

Last week, the US and allies were doing everything they could to paint current developments in Venezuela as an “election steal” by Maduro, following almost exactly the blueprint used against Morales. And just as in Bolivia, this rhetoric and the violence that followed it is seen by the incumbent and his allies as an attempt to force through a “regime change” coup.

Morales is a widely respected figure on the international left, and many will be struck by this comparison — and keen therefore to know his thoughts on developments in Venezuela.

Posting on X about the post-election situation in Venezuela, Evo said “Respect for the sovereignty of states is an elementary principle of coexistence. It is everyone’s duty to respect the decisions of the referee of the Venezuelan elections, in this case, the National Electoral Council (CNE.) It is that institution, without interference, that has already published the electoral result. The international right tries to question that to generate violence.”

Crucially he added, “It is the same script of the coup d’etat in Bolivia.”

Interestingly, while the current political divisions between Morales and the current elected Bolivian President Luis Arce, whose 2020 victory overturned the coup, are well known, Arce has a similar position on Venezuela to Morales. His was one of the first governments to recognise Sunday’s results, saying that “we welcome that the will of the Venezuelan people has been respected at the polls.”

These statements from Honduras and Bolivia are particularly timely when attempts are being made by those seeking “regime change” in Venezuela to portray Latin America’s left as moving towards the US’s agenda.

And it is not only these statements that show this is far from the truth. The full picture involves the presidents of Bolivia, Honduras, Cuba and Nicaragua recognising the election, the executive committee of Brazil’s ruling party, the PT, saying we must be on guard against external interference in Venezuela, and Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador slamming the US, the US-dominated Organisation of American States, and allies for external interference in Venezuela.

Also circulating widely in Latin American left circles is a statement from a range of massive social movements in Brazil, who also know from experience what life under a far-right US-backed regime looks like.

In it they say: “In the midst of a fascist campaign promoted by the Venezuelan and international extreme right, which even before the vote and the results were already out-loud fraud and non-respect for the results, the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people and their right to vote prevail.”

They add: “We repudiate any attempt at foreign intervention and internal destabilisation through violence, fake news and manipulation. We respect and defend democracy, truth and the sovereign Venezuelan people.”

The statement was signed by 11 movements representing millions of people, including the world’s largest social movement, Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement (the MST), plus the massive Central dos Trabalhadores do Brasil trade union centre, representing over 900 unions, and the youth wing of the governing Workers Party (PT.)

Additionally, Alicia Castro — prominent opponent of the far right in Argentina — said on the role of the pro-US right-wing opposition in Venezuela that “they will create another coup group like that Lima Group: they will continue to receive advice and financing from the United States and perhaps they will even set up a fake president like Juan Guaido. But they will not defeat the Venezuelan people, who, really, do not want to be a colony.”

As the situation with regards to Venezuela develops, these insights from Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Honduras are surely worth the left noting in Britain and globally.

Also important is the need to seriously question any statements from the US — and its far-right allies in Latin America such as Javier Milei in Argentina and the coup-regime in Peru — when their interests in “regime change” are so obvious.

One significant left force in Europe that seems to be doing just this is Podemos in Spain, whose leader — and former government minister — Ione Belarra said: “The people have spoken and their will must be respected. The right only goes with democracy when it wins and that is unacceptable.”

Source: The Morning Star

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