<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<div id="print-page"> <big><big><b>Venezuela: the Campaign of the
Opposition is Provoking a Revolutionary Backlash</b></big></big>
<p class="print-submitted">Jan 9th 2013, by Jorge Martín - In Defence
of Marxism</p>
<div class="print-content">
<p>Taking advantage of Chavez’s ill health, the Venezuelan oligarchy
and imperialism have renewed their campaign of destabilisation against
the Bolivarian Revolution. They risk unleashing the wrath of the
workers and the poor.</p>
<p>January 10th is the date on which Hugo Chavez has to be sworn into
office as the re-elected President of Venezuela. However, as the day
draws nearer, complications in his recovery from surgery in Cuba make
this unlikely. Since the beginning of the year, and even before, the
Venezuelan right wing opposition has unleashed a vicious and disgusting
campaign of rumours and lies about President Chavez’s real condition
with the aim of removing him from office.</p>
<p>The Spanish newspaper ABC has played a particularly prominent role
in this campaign, announcing in front page headlines that Chavez was in
an “induced comma” and his days were numbered. According to this
papers’ unnamed “intelligence sources” he would soon be disconnected
from a life support machine. This was combined with a barrage of
propaganda and lies on social media networks, in a campaign organised
directly by prominent members of the so-called “democratic opposition”.</p>
<p>The aim of this campaign is to achieve what the oligarchy could not
get through the ballot box (nor through previous coups, conspiracies,
lockouts, etc): the end of Chavez’s presidency which would deal a
serious blow to the Bolivarian revolution.</p>
<p>The hypocrisy of these “democratic” ladies and gentlemen knows no
limits. They now insist that the Constitution must be respected and
that if Chavez is unable to be sworn in on January 10, then he is no
longer President and new elections are automatically triggered. These
are the same people who first opposed the Bolivarian Constitution in
1999, mobilised against it, burnt copies of it on their demonstrations,
and then, at the first opportunity they had, during the short-lived
coup in April 2002, abolished it. Now their only concern is that the
Bolivarian Constitution be respected. They are joined in this chorus of
hyenas by the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference – which also played a key
role in supporting the April 2002 coup.</p>
<p>Even from a narrow constitutional point of view, they are wrong. The
Constitution clearly says (Art. 231) that if the President is unable to
take an oath on January 10th at the National Assembly, he can do so in
front of the Supreme Court of Justice (with no date specified). From a
legal point of view, President Chavez requested permission from the
National Assembly to leave the country to undergo surgical treatment in
Cuba in December, which was granted.</p>
<p>This is precisely the Constitutional mechanism which was activated
yesterday, January 8, when Vice President Maduro informed the National
Assembly that president Chávez was unable (on medical instructions) to
be sworn in on January 10th and asked for the legislative body to refer
the matter to the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).</p>
<p>Only in the case of an “absolute absence of the president” (Art.
233), new elections would have to be called within 30 days. Absolute
absence of the president would be in cases of death, resignation or
“permanent mental or physical incapacity” certified as such by a
medical team appointed by the Supreme Court and ratified by the
National Assembly.</p>
<p>Clearly, none of these cases yet apply.</p>
<p>Pueblo Pa' la Asamblea. January 5 Rally Photo: TeleSurTVThis, of
course, will not stop the opposition in its vociferous campaign.
Opposition leaders have declared that they have the “right to know”
what is the “real state of health” of the President and have organised
a commission of “men of proven reputation” to go to Cuba to investigate
directly. They also said they would make an appeal to the
“international community” (What they mean is Imperialism). All of those
they have appointed to this commission were directly involved in the
April 2002 coup and where they really belong is in jail.</p>
<p>The same capitalists, landlords, media owners and cardinals who
organised the undemocratic coup which removed the democratically
elected President from office in 2002, are now raising a hue and cry
about a “coup” organised by the Bolivarian leaders. They insist that
unless Chavez is sworn in on January 10, then he is no longer President.</p>
<p>In reality, leaving to one side the constitutional details (a field
in which they have no moral standing and in which they are wrong in any
case), the central fact they want people to forget is this: President
Chávez was re-elected on October 7th, when he received 8.1 million
votes (55%) on an astonishingly high 80% turnout. The opposition was
soundly defeated and the people voted once again to ratify the project
of the Bolivarian revolution, led by Chávez. The oligarchy now wants to
undo their defeat at the polls, revealing, once again, their true
undemocratic character.</p>
<p>Just in case anyone thinks that the opposition leaders are really
concerned about constitutional rights, their campaign has been
accompanied by calls for a “national civilian strike” (ie. a bosses’
lock-out like that of December 2002 – January 2003) and a systematic
campaign of hoarding of and speculation with basic food products.</p>
<p>This despicable campaign has now turned the mood amongst the
revolutionary masses from one of worry, sorrow and praying for the
recovery of Chavez, which dominated over Christmas and the New Year, to
one of anger and militancy. Once again, the whip of the
counter-revolution has spurred the revolution forward.</p>
<p>On January 5th, the day on which the National Assembly elected its
presidency, thousands of workers and poor gathered in the centre of
Caracas to show their support for Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution.
That mobilisation came from below and it was initially called for by
rank and file revolutionary activists. Representatives of the militias
were also present.</p>
<p>MILICIA POPULAR! #EVENTO elección y juramentación de la nuev... on
Twitpic. People's Militia at Jan 5 RallyOn the day, both the
vice-president Maduro and the president of the National Assembly
Cabello made radical speeches and issued stern warnings to the
opposition. To the assembled masses Diosdado Cabello declared: "with
sadness but firmly we tell you, gentlemen of the bourgeoisie, don't
make a mistake. You would pay dearly" and vice president Maduro added:
"there is only one transition here, from capitalism to socialism, with
President Chavez at the head, elected, re-elected and ratified".</p>
<p>There was even a clear statement to the effect that the rank and
file was going to be consulted in the selection of candidates for the
forthcoming municipal elections. This is significant as the appointment
of candidates from above was a major source of criticism from the
revolutionary rank and file during the December regional elections.</p>
<p>In the following days different official bodies, partly relying on
intelligence supplied by revolutionary organizations on the ground,
carried out a series of operations against hoarding and speculation,
which Maduro warned would be dealt with by “an iron fist”.</p>
<p>Sugar seized in AraguaIn Carabobo, 494 tons of pre-processed maize
flour (a key product in the Venezuelan staple diet) were found in a
warehouse in La Yaguara belonging to the private food monopoly POLAR.
Similarly, 237 tons of maize flour were found in a POLAR plant in
Cumaná, Sucre. In Nueva Esparta, 26 tons of the same product were
seized from a POLAR warehouse, when the product had been missing from
private shops in the Margarita Island for weeks. In La Victoria,
Aragua, 8,000 tons of refined sugar were found in a raid on a private
warehouse. Similar raids took place in Táchira, Zulia, Anzoategui,
Bolivar, and other states across the country. These are just some
examples which show how there is an orchestrated campaign to
artificially create a scarcity of basic food products in order to
provoke malaise and unrest amongst the people.</p>
<p>Now, a massive national rally has been called for on January 10, the
day on which the president is supposed to be sworn in. Already people
are mobilizing to attend what could be yet another huge show of support
for the revolution. This is the correct step. This issue cannot be
solved by lawyers and experts looking at the Constitution with a
magnifying glass, but through the mass mobilization of workers and the
poor.</p>
<p>The mood amongst the people is clear: the opposition, again, wants
to steal the votes which gave Chavez a clear victory on October 7, and
the people will not allow them to do so. A revolutionary activist from
the communal councils of the working class neighbourhood of 23 de Enero
put it this way when interviewed during the rally on January 5: “The
Venezuelan people will continue to set the pace of this revolution,
even if we lose the leadership,” and he added that in such a scenario
“the people, the oppressed classes would take the reins” to continue
forward.</p>
<p>It is clear to all that the state of health of the President is very
delicate. This has clearly posed the question of what next in the minds
of millions of Bolivarian supporters. The answer that is coming loud
and clear is “<em>we</em> are the people, this is <em>our</em> revolution,
and it is up to <em>us</em> to take it forward.”</p>
<p>The most far sighted sections of the oligarchy and imperialism are
acutely aware of this and are attempting to play a more cautious role.
The Spanish newspaper El Pais, as well as publishing vitriolic attacks
on Chavez and the Venezuelan people, pointed out that the opposition
had been caught unawares by the situation and was impotent and unable
to take the initiative. The defeated opposition presidential candidate
Capriles has been surprisingly silent throughout, not giving public
backing to the calls from more extreme sections of the opposition for a
“civic strike.” However, they are not in control, even of their own
ranks.</p>
<p>The momentum is being created for a situation in which the
revolution could be completed. The wrath provoked by the crass
opportunism of the oligarchy should be used to strike decisive blows
against the property-owning class. Faced with speculation and hoarding
workers at POLAR and other companies, which monopolise food production
and distribution, should organise workers’ control committees in
conjunction with the communal councils and demand the expropriation of
the saboteurs.</p>
<p>US awaits fate of Chavez. Illustration: <a
href="http://latuffcartoons.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Latuff</a>This
would mean, as a matter of fact, the expropriation of the Mendoza
family, owners of the POLAR group of companies. This family played a
key role in the 2002 coup, in the 2002-03 bosses lock-out, their
lorries were used to blockade the roads during the guarimba riots of
2004, and they have played a decisive role against the revolution in
every attempt to sabotage the food distribution chain in the last 10 or
15 years. Many in Venezuela are asking themselves how much longer they
will be allowed to continue with their undemocratic actions against the
will of the majority.</p>
<p>The Minister of Information also issued a strongly worded letter to
Globovision, demanding that they should stop referring to Maduro as
“acting president”, when he is in fact the Vice President. Again,
revolutionary activists are demanding that finally this is used to
revoke the broadcasting license from a channel which played a decisive
role in the April 2002 coup and in all counter-revolutionary
conspiracies since.</p>
<p>Faced with the threat of a bosses lock-out (under the guise of a
“national civilian strike”), workers’ control committees should be
organized in all factories and workplaces to exercise revolutionary
vigilance and act under the slogan of the struggle against the 2002
lock out: “Factory closed, factory occupied”.</p>
<p>This struggle can only be won if the revolutionary working class
puts itself at the head of the Bolivarian people showing a clear way
forward to implement what the people voted for on October 7: Socialism!</p>
</div>
<hr class="print-hr">
<div class="print-source_url"><strong>Source URL (retrieved on <em>10/01/2013
- 2:08am</em>):</strong> <a
href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/7599">http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/7599</a></div>
</div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
</div>
</body>
</html>