Nicolas Maduro will be sworn in by Venezuela’s National Assembly for a new term as president on January 10 following the July 28 presidential election. 

The election results, as announced by Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) and confirmed by the Supreme Court (TSJ), have been contested by opposition candidate Edmundo González. His claim is based on the publication of voting results posted on a private website. Gonzalez refused to present his evidence to the TSJ, leaving Venezuelans no constitutionally mandated means for recognizing his alleged victory even if it were valid. 

In advance of the election, the U.S. had announced that regardless of the vote count, if Maduro won, they would not recognize his victory. Accordingly, the U.S. anointed opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez as Washington’s choice for president-elect. Now in voluntary exile in Spain, Gonzalez has said he will travel back to Venezuela to be sworn in himself, raising the fear of outside interference. The opposition's radical program – privatization of public education, health care, and welfare, along with reorienting the country’s foreign policy in favor of the U.S./Zionist genocidal war on the Palestinians – relies on extra-parliamentary means to advance its agenda.

For years, Washington has pursued a strategy of regime change in Venezuela. The U.S. has waged a hybrid war of unilateral coercive measures (so-called illegal “sanctions”), coup attempts, and diplomatic machinations such as recognizing a parallel government to the constitutional one in Caracas. These actions have caused immense suffering for the Venezuelan people, limiting access to food, medicine and basic services. From 2017-2018 alone, U.S. sanctions on Venezuela killed an estimated 40,000 people. 

The U.S. worked to undermine the elections in corporate and social media. Since the election, Washington has imposed new sanctions on dozens of Venezuelan officials, because they have recognized the re-election of President Maduro, the findings of Venezuela’s own constitutional institutions. The U.S. also seized a presidential plane, re-tightened oil sanctions, and threatened to withdraw existing oil licenses. The House of Representatives recently passed the offensively named “BOLIVAR Act,” codifying existing sanctions. 

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government has warned of multiple threats posed by those intent on fomenting instability and chaos in Venezuela. Over the past months, authorities have arrested active-duty foreign soldiers and mercenaries, including U.S. citizens. They have seized weapons shipments and uncovered plots involving drug cartels and armed gangs. There have been successful and foiled acts of sabotage on energy infrastructure throughout the country. This U.S.-backed violence is an attempt to undermine Venezuela’s electoral process and overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro.

As we get closer to the January 10 inauguration, the threats against the people of Venezuela’s independence and sovereignty are growing further jeopardizing the region's stability and Venezuela’s right to self determination. Erik Prince, the warmonger of Blackwater infamy, launched a crowdsourcing campaign to raise funds to form a military force to oust President Maduro. Edmundo Gonzalez recently posted on social media: “You can’t go to war with fear. January 10 has already begun.” 

We reject these threats of war and we reject the imposition of new sanctions. The Venezuelan people must be allowed to determine their own path without outside interference. We call on people around the world to join us in increasing our united efforts to end U.S.-led sanctions, threats and interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Hands off Venezuela! 
Lift all sanctions against Venezuela!

Initial Signers: 

• Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle, NYC, United States
• Alliance du Peuple pour Congo Libre et Souverain [APCLS], Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Bronx Anti-War Coalition, United States
• Chicago ALBA Solidarity, United States
• CODEPINK, United States
• Congo Love, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Cuba and the Bolivarian Alliance Committee, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF-US), United States
• Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice, Canada
• Frente Hugo Chavez- Vancouver, Canada
• Friends of Latin America, United States
• International Action Center, United States
• Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste, Canada
• Ligue des Femmes de L'Uds, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• National Lawyers Guild International Committee, United States
• Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, United States
• Orinoco Tribune, Venezuela
• Parti Communiste Congolais, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Revolutionary Communist Group (Fight Racism Fight Imperialism), Britain
• Rock Around the Blockade, Britain
• San Jose Against War, United States
• SanctionsKill Campaign, United States
• Task Force On the Americas, United States
• The Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle of Toronto, Canada
• Union de la Jeunesse de L'Uds, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Union Des Democrates Socialistes, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), United States
• US Women and Cuba Collaboration, United States
• Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), Canada
• Vermont Peace AntiWar Coalition, United States
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Vermont Branch, United States
• Workers World Party/Partido Mundo Obrero, United States
• Youth Action Hub Guinea, Republic of Guinea