The Supreme Justice Court issued a sentence that limited parliamentary immunity and “ordered” Maduro to take the “civil, economic, military, criminal, juridical and social measures he believes relevant and necessary to avoid a state of commotion,” as an answer to a resolution of the National Assembly of support to the implementation of the democratic charter of the OAS, besides other resolutions on “political prisoners” and humanitarian crisis.
By UST Venezuela.
The sentence of the SJC annulled in fact the parliamentary powers, it granted broad powers to President Maduro and legislative powers to the SJC itself. After the national and international commotion and a generalized rejection by the population, the SJC made a “clarification” (sentences 157/158) reinstating parliamentary immunity and retrieving on the attribution of powers to the president and the SJC.
From the UST (Socialist Unity of Workers) we rejected this new reactionary attempt that attacks basic rights granted by the Constitution (CRBV). The generalized rejection forced the government and the SJC to setback in such attempts for now.
However, we must denunciate that this sentence further attacks the already limited democratic freedoms. Regional elections have been postponed indefinitely. Elections have been suspended in emblematic unions like Sidor and the Oil Workers’ Federation, among others. Repression is the government’s daily response to the opposition and workers’ demonstrations, like with university workers last week.
This situation, in addition to the indefinite extension of the State of Exception, prepares the ground: a path to consolidate a government of the kind of Fujimori, not submitted to any control and with absolute powers. The setback of these sentences is explained by the outburst of the crisis between the SJC and the Attorney General, Ortega, who declared that “institutional continuity was broken,” evidencing the irreversible crisis of the government and of Chavism.
Will the OAS Guarantee Democratic Freedoms in Venezuela?
The National Assembly has pleaded the application of the Inter-American Charter of the OAS to end this political crisis. On its side, this international organism is discussing the critical situation of Venezuela. However, the OAS may not help solve the Venezuelan situation. This is an institution in service of the main policies of North American imperialism. The OAS has approved coups, dictatorships and invasions. Sadly, Hugo Chávez himself first approved this interference policy through the democratic charter, with Nicolas Maduro as a chancellor. This is the truth despite the “anti-imperialist” speeches. Workers cannot expect for this organism to act in our favor.
Is the OAS Worried with Venezuelan “Socialism”?
The Nicolás Maduro administration accuses the U.S. of wanting to invade Venezuela because of its anti-imperialist nature and it his attempt to build socialism. Evidently, none of these things are true. Venezuela is not going towards socialism, and the government is only anti-imperialist in its speech. For example, Chevron, Haliburton, Total Oil, and many more North American and multinational companies took our oil, gas and mineral without any resistance. Banks and other stockholders promptly receive foreign debt payments (Maduro confessed that $18 billion dollars were paid over the last year, and US$17 billion will be paid this year), despite the food and medicine shortage and the misery of the people. Meanwhile, Maduro waits for the help of “comrade Donald Trump”.
What are the OAS and Imperialism Worried About?
Trump, most of the Latin American governments, and the multinationals, are actually worried about the Venezuelan political crisis threatening the entire region. It is no news that Brazil is a time bomb about to burst.
There is a General Strike marked for April 28. The demonstrations began against Dilma Rousseff and the PT but they now confront president Temer, Dilma’s former ally.
The situation in Argentina is also explosive. There is an upcoming general strike [taking place today, April 6 – T.N] and great demonstrations in response to the attacks on the living conditions of the workers, layoffs, and attacks to the freedoms. Chile and Mexico, among others, provide a framework of regional political instability. The Venezuelan crisis adds fuel to this situation. Thus, the U.S. has expressed its disagreement to suspend Venezuela from the OAS “at this moment”.
What is the Solution?
Despite the democratic façade, the MUD members (along with the OAS) promised that the implementation of the democratic charter and elections will miraculously solve the shortages, insecurity, misery, inflation and all the evils the Venezuelan workers and people suffer. We alert that it is a vile lie! The MUD is battling to take over the State, its businesses and oil profits. It is a fight among businessmen as corrupt as the boli-bourgeoisie. The solution they propose is more adjustment, privatizations, attack on the living conditions and labor conquests, and layoffs, like with Macri in Argentina and Temer in Brazil. No solution will come from this.
We Must End this Government through Workers’ and Popular Mobilization
From the UST, we defend the democratic conquests and freedoms that the government is attacking. All repression and limits to workers’ organization and mobilization aims to continue the implementation of this brutal economic plan, hand in hand with the businessmen, which will lead us to complete misery. However, we socialists do not believe the miracles they promise with elections. We say we need to end this government but through the most democratic mean, which is independent mobilization of the workers through their own struggle. We must organize from below, in combative unions, Communal Councils, social movements and all workers’ and popular organizations to prepare a national struggle. We must promote assemblies and meetings in work places to paralyze the country with a general strike until this government ends. In this framework, we propose the summoning of a National Constituent Assembly, free and sovereign, to discuss a country in service of the workers and the people instead of the rich and multinationals, as it has been until now.
A Program to Eat and Heal!
We need to organize the struggle to end this government and be able to implement an emergency program, which begins by:
-Immediate suspension of foreign debt payments; salary increase, adjusted to the basic food basket.
-Adjustment of retirements and pensions. Reactivation of basic companies; food and medicine production on behalf of the State.
-Expulsion of the multinational companies of oil, gas and minerals. No to the Miner Arch [of Orinoco].
-Elections in all unions where they are due. For the recovery of union federations and centrals today in hands of official bureaucrats and any other type.
-On the defense of democratic freedoms, liberty of organization and mobilization.
-For a free and sovereign Constituent Assembly.
Only a workers’, peasants’ and poor people’s government will be able to implement fully this program.
We call on to all social, union, sectorial and political organizations against the each time more reactionary and anti-popular course of this government, as to those who are in favor of preserving the democratic rights of the workers and the poor and oppressed people, to organize joint mobilization and struggle to setback all the anti-democratic measures of Maduro, and set us in a place where we can decide what type of society, economy and government we want. From the UST we struggle for this. Comrade, join this struggle.
***
Translation: Alejandra Ramírez.
Let’s Condemn and Reject the Reactionary Attempt of the Government! This Government Must not Continue!
