Seattle stands with Venezuela
Seattle, WA – On January 10, approximately 50 activists gathered at the New Holly Public Library for a reportback meeting featuring two speakers who shared their experiences from a December delegation to Venezuela, during which participants defied a U.S. “no-fly” order.
The meeting offered insight into the risks, motivation, and political stakes of the delegation’s solidarity work, situating their action within a broader struggle to defend sovereignty against escalating U.S. aggression in the region.
The reportback featured Izzy McCabe from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and Rae Lee from Seattle Against War (SAW), both of whom were members of the December delegation. They described traveling to Venezuela and attending the People’s Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty, where large-scale and grassroots movements from around the world.
Lee stated, “Right now, Venezuelans are building their capacity to withstand U.S. imperialism through community.”
McCabe told the crowd, “The U.S. aggressions and increasing U.S. presence in the Caribbean and Pacific are a way to divide Latin American countries by sowing confusion through propaganda.”
McCabe continued, “It is our duty as members of the imperial core to stand in solidarity with all peoples facing imperialist aggression.”
Lee also reflected on the importance of international solidarity stating, “We were there to learn and get new perspectives from all over the world.” Attendees engaged in discussion, asking questions about sustaining work and linking local struggles to global movements.
After the reportback, activists and community members took their message to the street, gathering at Othello Station for a rally against U.S. intervention in Venezuela. The protest drew a large crowd, reflecting the widespread outrage over the latest U.S. military rampage and the continued threat to sovereignty faced by people in Venezuela.
At the rally, participants carried signs, hung banners reading “Hands off Venezuela” and chanted “¡Trump, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” Speakers connected struggles across Latin America to local organizing efforts in Seattle, emphasizing that U.S. military aggression abroad has direct economic and political consequences for working-class communities at home. The atmosphere was energized and resolute, with attendees chanting together, exchanging information, and committing to continued action.
Meredith Ruff, a member of SAW, stated, “The purpose of our military action is to maintain U.S. interests, which just so happens to be completely aligned with the interests of U.S. corporations and the billionaire class.”
Together, the reportback and rally demonstrated a growing commitment among Seattle activists to oppose U.S. imperialism and build solidarity with people resisting that aggression worldwide.