The following brief intervention on June 14, 2017 by Cuban-American Rep. Ros-Lehtinen reveals clearly what formula the U.S. is using to intervene flagrantly in Venezuela. Both the representative and the secretary have been attempting to overthrow, first Pres. Hugo Chavez and now Pres. Maduro for a while now. Unlike so-called Obama Care, the sanctions on Venezuela is an Obama legacy they cherish, and are happy to continue and to improve. The U.S. believes it has the right to be Venezuelan constitutional guards, and in the words of Sec. Tillerson himself, notice that on that basis they decided to place six supreme justices of Venezuela in the list of U.S. sanctions. Notice that Rep. Ros-Lehtinen wants even more people in that list. Also notice how blatantly Rep. Ros-Lehtinen lies. She speaks of Maduro’s thugs killing people. It is right-wing thugs who have been killing people, including lynching an afro-venezuelan man without political affiliation, and killing the Chief of Police in Merida.
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The temperature in Boston was 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius), with strong wind gusts, which made it feel even colder. But, there we stood with our sisters and brothers of the Committee for Peace and Human Rights (holding a vigil here every Saturday since 1998), demanding an end to the attacks to the Venezuelan Bolivarian Revolution by the United States. Attacks that begun with Obama and are now being expanded by Trump.

We, from the Committee in Solidarity with Venezuela, marked one year of work on March 5 and honored the 4th anniversary of the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. We also informed the public about our people-to-people campaign, Seeds of Solidarity for Venezuela.
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To: The friends who contributed seeds from the Seeds of Solidarity for Venezuela project.
From: Gaudy María García, Person Responsible for the Family Seed Reservoir La Paspasa

Women and men, peasants of Monte Carmelo, Sanare, Municipality Andrés Eloy Blanco, Lara State, Venezuela, send you conservation and agro-ecological greetings. Here we will provide a brief account of what we have been developing in recent months in terms of rescue and reproduction of seeds in our project “Seeds for Life”.
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The Seeds of Solidarity for Venezuela project was officially launched last Saturday 12/3/2016, with a great panel of presenters, which included Lisa Sullivan, international coordinator, liaison and inspiration to get this program going. We also had a report back from Ausra Kubilius, Seymour Kellerman, Emily Sedgwick, and Robert Schwartz, who travelled to Venezuela recently to witness the effort for food sovereignty and eco-socialism being developed in the Lara state. Likewise, we had a presentation by NY resident Quincy Saul, from the organization Ecosocialist Horizons, who is working to organize the first ecosocialist international in Venezuela next year October-November 2017. The event was well attended. Now forward with the collection of heirloom, non-GMO seeds! If you would like to donate please contact us at vensol2016@gmail.com.From l-r, Sergio Reyes, co-coordinator of US-Venezuela Solidarity Committee, Emily Sedgwick, Robert Schwartz, Quincy Saul, Seymour Kellerman, and Ausra Kubilius.

11/28/2016 — The VSC co-signed the following letter of solidarity with Colombian people. This was an initiative of Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ).

Dear Sisters, Brothers, Friends and Comrades,

It is with deep sorrow that we write to express our condolences for the recent assaults against your organizations and against the entire process for peace. We have learned that 72 human and labor rights defenders, peace activists, indigenous leaders and environmentalists were assassinated in 2016 alone. In the four years of its existence, 125 members of the Marcha Patriótica (Patriotic March) popular movement for peace have lost their lives. We are dismayed by the campaign of paramilitary violence that has occurred leading up to and following the October 2nd Peace Referendum. We are especially shocked by Operation Extermination, carried out by death squads between November 17 and 20. Five persons were murdered and attempts were made against three others. All of those targeted were members of the Marcha Patriótica, and all but one were affiliated with the National Unitary Federation of Agricultural Workers Unions (Fensuagro), the largest labor organization within the Marcha Patriótica. We are also deeply concerned to learn that two insurgents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army (FARC-EP) were killed November 13 in a non-combat situation by Colombian Armed Forces snipers. This is a violation of the ceasefire and a provocation against the peace process. Meanwhile, we have received new notices of a series of new paramilitary threats directed against leaders and members of the Marcha Patriótica, Fensuagro and various similar popular organizations.
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A well crafted plan to “take over Venezuela” will take place today, starting at 9AM in Caracas and larger cities throughout the country. People are asked to meet at pre-determined points in Caracas to finally converge at the Fajardo Highway for a demonstration with speakers from the right-wing opposition. These speakers will give directives for actions they are asking their supporters to take the day after. The public leader for these actions is the Governor of Miranda State, Henrique Capriles, who is also the head of MUD, Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (Table for Democratic Unity).
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The collection of signatures for the recall referendum has been postponed by the National Electoral Council in response to injunctions from several State-level courts. Also, the opposition-held National Assembly, in an extraordinary session on Sunday October 23rd, declared themselves in open rebellion against the government, the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council.
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Report back and report from the trenches
At Encuentro 5 – 9A Hamilton Place, Boston, MA (Park Street T station)
Saturday, July 30, 2016 – 4PM – 6PM
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by Frederick B. Mills

The atmosphere at the special session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on June 23 to hear Secretary General Luis Almagro’s report on the situation in Venezuela was tense, with both pro-Chavista and pro-opposition demonstrators outside the building and a formidable media presence inside. The President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, opposition leader Henry Ramos Allup, was watching the proceedings on a monitor elsewhere in the building while the Venezuelan mission and its allies inside the Simon Bolivar Room were indignant that the meeting was even taking place. There was a great deal at stake for the future of the OAS as well for Venezuela.
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On June 4, 2016, members of the Venezuela Solidarity Committee of Boston, had the opportunity to hear a report from Venezuelan Congressman Vivas (PSUV), about the delicate situation the Venezuelan people confront at this moment. The video conference lasted for about an hour and a half and people in the audience had an opportunity to ask questions and share views about the subject matter.

Congressman Vivas explained the constitutional mechanisms of referendums in Venezuela, and in particular about what the right-wing is seeking, a presidential recall referendum. Vivas indicated that there will be no chance of such referendum this year, since the legal procedure for it has not been fulfilled by the right-wing opposition.
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