Minneapolis, MN – Members of the Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) , a committee of Women Against Military Madness along with their supporters, gathered September 10, on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge, which connects Minneapolis and Saint Paul, protesting Trump’s attacks against Venezuela and the Caribbean.

On September 2, the U.S. military killed eleven people in an unlawful strike on a boat in the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela. Congress has not declared war on Venezuela, yet the Trump administration authorized and openly bragged about ordering the killing of unknown people without any due process.

All along the bridge, people walked back and forth as they held signs and waved to the cars passing by that honked in support.

Their signs could be seen from afar with big, bold lettering that read, “Speak out: U.S. – Hands off Venezuela,” “No sanctions. No coup,” and “Hands off Venezuela and Latin America!”

As the protest ended, members of SCOTA told the crowd that as long as Trump and his administration continues to target Venezuela and its people, we will hit the streets in protest.

Follow SCOTA on Facebook and Instagram to learn about Venezuela in an upcoming panel discussion and to learn about any upcoming protests.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #HandsOffVenezuela #Venezuela

Miami, FL – An important hearing takes place on Monday, December 12 in the case of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. With solidarity activists planning to protest outside the Federal Court building in Miami chanting, “Free Alex Saab,” inside a judge will hear arguments from Saab’s defense that should force him to be set free.

Saab’s defense will assert his status as a Special Envoy to the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. As a special envoy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, he is immune to prosecution by the U.S. government.

“The U.S. is singling out Alex Saab for punishment because he is key to bypassing the illegal U.S. sanctions placed upon Venezuela,” says Cassia Laham of the Free Alex Saab Committee. “This kidnapping of a diplomat comes after multiple illegal attempts by the United States at coup d’états and regime change against the Venezuelan government.”

All the U.S. maneuvers against Venezuela have failed so far. In 2002, popularly elected President Hugo Chavez reversed the U.S. backed coup. Later that year, Chavez defeated a management lockout of the oil industry by firing 18,000 managers and bosses. The current president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, defeated another U.S. backed coup on April 30, 2019. Then in 2020 Maduro foiled a U.S. mercenary-led invasion force who were captured by people’s militias before they even hit the beach.

“Alex Saab has done nothing wrong. He certainly does not belong in a U.S. jail,” said Tom Burke, with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. “He’s a special envoy who made trade deals for food, medicine, technology, and other things that benefit the Venezuelan people. It is U.S. sanctions that need to be on trial. U.S. sanctions are illegal, an act of war.”

Alex Saab was illegally imprisoned in the Republic of Cabo Verde at the directive of the United States on June 12, 2020. Then he was illegally renditioned to Miami from Cabo Verde, despite there being no extradition treaty, on October 16, 2021.

Under the Vienna Convention, a credentialed diplomat such as Saab has absolute immunity from arrest, even in a time of war. Saab has also appealed to the US 11th Circuit Court based on his diplomatic status.

Laham says, “It is now over 900 days since Alex Saab was first jailed by the United States. The U.S. is now negotiating for Venezuelan oil and needs to end the sanctions, war, and aggression against Venezuela. They need to respect Venezuela and reestablish normal ties.”

Burke and Laham will join other solidarity activists and rally to “Free Alex Saab!” on Monday, December 12 at 8 a.m., Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 400 N Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida.

There is also a protest to “Free Alex Saab!” in New York City at the United Nations, 46th Street and First Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 9.

Then a large Milwaukee coalition hosts a Human Rights Day program at 4 p.m., Saturday December 10, at 2319 East Kenwood Boulevard that includes the movie, Alex Saab: A Kidnapped Diplomat.

As well, there will be a Detroit protest demanding “Free Alex Saab!” at the Rosa Parks Federal Building in at 6 p.m., 333 Mount Elliott Street, on Monday, December 12.

#MiamiFL #Venezuela #HandsOffVenezuela #AlexSaab #BolivarianRepublicOfVenezuela #Americas

A dozen cities throughout the United States, from New York City to Miami, to Chicago to Tucson, will host livestreaming events of the movie.

“It is imperative that activists in the United States show solidarity with the people of Venezuela, who have been tirelessly resisting illegal actions by the United States against their country for over a decade,” said Tom Burke, organizational secretary with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “We have been part of the Free Alex Saab Committee since its inception, and we will be watching the film here in Grand Rapids, Michigan to express our unity with the Bolivarian Republic and its people, and to demand the release of their heroic diplomat.”

Alex Saab was illegally arrested, tortured and imprisoned simply for securing funds, food items and medicine for the people of Venezuela to continue to thrive. For over a decade, the United States has tried to wreak havoc on Venezuela through multilateral sanctions (even during COVID), attempted destabilization efforts, and even assassination attempts – all tactics that have failed miserably and which Venezuela has overcome, in large part thanks to the work of patriotic Venezuelans like Alex Saab.

By putting Saab on trial, the United States has gone against international and U.S. laws alike. International law clearly states that diplomats cannot be extradited, arrested and imprisoned by foreign governments, especially for made-up charges such as the one against Alex Saab. The United States is clearly an empire on its last legs, and it is lashing out with all tools in its arsenal, trying not to lose its grasp on global hegemony, which it sees slipping from its fingers.

We demand the U.S. government stop all attacks on Venezuela, its people, and its representatives! Free Alex Saab!

#MiamiFL #AntiwarMovement #Venezuela #Movies #HandsOffVenezuela #AlexSaab #Americas

Caracas, Venezuela – A middle-aged man in Guairda waits in line to vote for the National Assembly and says, “Here voting is easy and safe. It takes 30 seconds to one minute. With all the participation from the people in the Guairda area, we will show the world that we want to live in peace, without guarimbas [street blockades], without violence, without economic sanctions, and we will show to other people that we are demanding sovereignty. This is why the majority of Venezuelans are carrying out our duty and our right to vote.”

The election of the National Assembly in Venezuela was Sunday, December 6. Election observers from around the world attended the voting sites in the schools around the country. They were able to observe the entire voting process.

There were multiple observers from the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Dominican Republican and Barbados.

Donald Denny, an election observer from Barbados, says, “I represent the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration. We have a very close working relationship with the United Socialist party of Venezuela. We are also very supportive of the removal of the political economic embargo against Venezuela. We are here to witness this election and to be able to report to our people in the Caribbean about what is taking place. We know that the USA and the imperialist forces in the region will do everything possible to attack the election in Venezuela and criticize it, but we want to bring information to the people of Barbados and our region to have a clear understanding of what is happening in Venezuela. We are very supportive of this election and the progressive left forces. We are looking forward to a victory for the united socialist forces of Venezuela.”

There were also many observers from Africa, including the Congo, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Obed Babela, an election observer from the African National Congress (ANC), said “I am part of the ANC, and we are together with other delegates from the South Africa Communist Party. We are here to pledge our support with the PSUV. We hope there is a clear winner, so the illegal blockade and the illegal sanctions must come to an end because the whole world will have seen that people from Venezuela went peacefully to vote, without being pushed by anyone, without intimidation, freely expressing who they want to be their own government. Once that has been determined, we are asking all countries to respect the outcome of the elections in Venezuela, so that the economy can grow and they can focus on development and not worry about sanctions and the illegal blockade.”

Contrary to the reporting of the corporate newspapers of the West, the observers saw a secure and democratic election process.

To vote, people walk up to an election worker and place their ID on a mini platform. The worker types in their ID numbers into a machine, checks their name and the voter places their finger on the machine to confirm their identity with the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

After their identity is verified, the voter goes to a computerized, touchscreen voting machine, which is behind a barrier for privacy. The ballot has all the different parties that are running candidates. The people click the party they want to vote for and then a printed receipt comes out.

The voter takes this ticket and puts it in a sealed box with a slit in it. They walk over to another election worker, who has an election notebook. The notebook lists everyone who can vote in that polling station. The voters sign their name and put their fingerprint next to their name.

The voting centers usually close at 6 p.m., but they won’t close if there are people in line. The votes are counted electronically, but also have backup with the paper tickets being counted. The whole process includes many checks and balances and confirming people’s identity. The international observers asked voters what they thought about the election. People said the election was democratic and just.

“Voting is very quick and easy here. Our election process is a democratic process, we’ve never let go of our democracy. It’s a good process. Everything is going well with our current government, thank God. There are a lot of good, cheap, services and utilities. We always have water and electricity. The public services here are very good,” says Eddy Guzman, an elderly voter.

The results of the election are usually known by 10 p.m. the same day. Venezuelans are expecting a strong victory for the Chavista party, PSUV, and President Maduro. This is the main reason that the U.S. government and right-wing newspapers are claiming the election is undemocratic; they know it is likely that the Chavista party will win. The Chavista party is the opposite of the USA’s two capitalist, imperialist parties. It offers free universal healthcare, free public education and college and free housing to over 3.3 million people. Most importantly, the PSUV is a party of the people and Maduro uplifts their voices.

A victory for the PSUV and Maduro is a victory for working people around the world and a victory against imperialism.

“The common thing we have among us is that we are human beings and we have to support each other and help in every way to improve life, in every sense, for all the people of the world. The government of Venezuela is in power because the people of Venezuela put them there. The people elected Maduro democratically. He’s the one that should be in power because it was the decision of the people. We should support them because we believe in democracy, so we should accept it,” says Ahmed Laamraoui, the secretary general of the Moroccan Worker’s Union and an election observer.

#CaracasVenezuela #Caracas #Venezuela #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Socialism #UnitedSocialistPartyPSUV