The Far-Left and Venezuela

Venezuela was a country lauded by the far-left and anti-imperialists of how socialism could work. A "Bolivarian" revolution led by Hugo Chavez was feted by such as Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone, the Communist Party, the SWP and others who all came together to form the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign which tried to persuade us that this was a way forward to a better society.

Today with Chavez dead and his successor once claiming he talked to his mentors ghost the country is falling apart.  Venezuela has the world's largest known oil reserves and should in theory be able to provide for it's peoples basic needs. Yet the selves are empty. Staple items from bread to toilet paper unobtainable even if the average citizen had the money (which they don't) to obtain their basic needs.

Violence is ascendant. So afraid is Maduro of losing power he has seen the appointment of over 2,000 "Generals" in his army. That's more than NATO has.

Many people have been calling on Jeremy Corbyn to condemn what's going on. He won't and besides is currently somewhere in Croatia on a cycling holiday. More likely he'll listen to his friends from Sinn Fein whose representative in Caracas has declared that the poll, boycotted by the majority has been "fair & equitable".



Venezuela does not allow any independent observers monitor its voting. Maduro just ships in his mates. Sinn Fein is so trustworthy..not.

Meanwhile the Communist Party via the Morning Star rages:

Communist Party general secretary Rob Griffiths condemned US President Trump’s refusal to recognise the result of the Venezuelan election.

He said it is “our duty” to defend Mr Maduro’s elected government which has made “great strides” in redistributing wealth and given a voice to the excluded and underrepresented.

The old Militant Tendency now the Socialist Party prefers to remain silent and has a feature on how art helped inspire the Bolshevik coup d'etat in 1917 in the latest issue of their boring rag The Socialist. Even their "International" website hasn't had a piece on Venezuela since June and that just called for more "socialist policies" whatever that's supposed to mean.

Socialist Worker who are busy stirring up trouble in Hackney behind their front organisation Stand up to Racism did manage a few mealy mouthed comments in their latest paper:

The boycott and its limited success show the right’s continuing unpopularity. Its leaders couldn’t risk standing and couldn’t dissuade millions from voting for Maduro’s candidates.

Venezuela is now seeing economic and social devastation. But this hasn’t overcome the legacy of resentment at the right wing elite that once ruled the country......

The right poses a real threat to ordinary people in Venezuela.

But workers and the poor acting for themselves can create a movement that could pose a real alternative.

As usual like Militant the real way forward is to join the (their) party and build "socialism.

Finally what of the laughably named Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign?

“On Sunday over 8 million Venezuelans, representing a turnout of 41.5%, participated in elections for a Constituent Assembly to revise the constitution, and provide an elected mechanism to help resolve the country’s current difficulties.

This impressive turnout was despite many sections of the country’s right-wing opposition deciding to boycott the vote, and some even calling violent protests on the day with the explicit aim of derailing the elections. Venezuela’s Public Ministry has announced that it will open a probe into the deaths reported as a result of these violent protests.

However The Times reports (no link£):

President Maduro has been accused of organising election fraud on a massive scale after it was revealed that officials invented one million votes in Sundays constituent assembly election.

The allegation was made by Antonio Mugica, chief executive of the  that provides the machines.... he said "we estimate the difference between the actual participation and the one announced is at least one million votes.

The far-left do not believe in democracy. Only control.

As we head to the anniversary of the so-called Russian Revolution it needs to be remembered what the Communists overthrew was not the Tsar but the elected government of Russia. 

Socialist democracy is a lie. From Cuba to North Korea it has led to dictatorship and worse. Venezuela will be no different if the comrades get their way.