US steps up military pressure on Venezuela and Colombia

The United States has increased its military threats against Venezuela and now also Colombia . On October 24, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford had been sent to the Caribbean, where over 10,000 troops, several warships, reconnaissance aircraft and F-35 fighter jets are already deployed under the pretext of “counter-drug operations.” American troops are also participating in exercises near the coast of Venezuela.

Senator Lindsey Graham has called Venezuela a possible target for military action. President Trump suggested in a speech that a ground invasion could be the next step and that Congress would likely not oppose it. At the same time, the United States has expanded naval operations along Colombia's Pacific coast, destroying several boats. According to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, at least 43 people have been killed in 10 bombings since September.

Petro has strongly condemned the US actions, claiming that the alleged drug operations are really about Venezuela's oil . He accuses the US of extrajudicial executions and demands legal investigations against Trump. The conflict worsened when the US revoked his visa after his speech at the UN, in which he called those killed "poor Latin American youth."

Several Latin American countries have expressed support for Colombia and Venezuela. The regional cooperation ALBA-TCP condemned the US military threat as “a grave violation of Colombia’s sovereignty.” Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino López and President Nicolás Maduro also pledged full support for the Petro.

In this context, it is important to see that the Venezuelan regime does not represent a positive development for the working class, and that protests against the attacks of US imperialism do not mean that one has to support Maduro. The Venezuelan Communist Party PCV summarizes the situation by saying that the military operations against Venezuela aim to guarantee the interests of the US monopolies in the conflict with other imperialist powers, and that they want to pressure the Maduro administration to continue to provide benefits to US capital and perhaps create a crack in the regime, so that openly pro-US politicians can come to power.

The Communists emphasize that the Venezuelan people are simultaneously suffering from a deep political, economic and social crisis caused by the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the Venezuelan Socialist Party PSUV, which have impoverished the working class with miserable salaries and pensions. Added to this is the persecution, repression and criminalization of trade union leaders, political and social activists, as well as human rights defenders and journalists.

Resistance to US imperialism cannot be achieved through “national unity” but through the communists putting socialism on the agenda.

Republished from Riktpunkt