REDH Condemns US Aggression Against Venezuela; ANSWER Coalition Joins in Rejection

Intellectuals and artists are raising their voices against the military attack on Venezuela, supporting President Nicolás Maduro's Decree of External Commotion, while the US-based ANSWER Coalition denounces the economic motive and calls for mass mobilization.

The Network in Defense of Humanity (REDH) characterized this event as "a crime against peace, a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, and an existential threat to the sovereignty of all peoples." The organization emphasized that the offensive is not merely an isolated incident, but "an attack against the fundamental principle of the self-determination of nations."

The Network states that the incident is shaping up to be "a colonial blow seeking to establish a precedent for armed intervention to plunder resources and subjugate wills." The ultimate intention, the communiqué adds, is "the usurpation of Venezuela's strategic resources and the annihilation, by force of arms, of the political independence of a sovereign nation."

REDH denounces a "blatant attempt to impose, through a colonial war, a change of government that subjects the country to imperial interests and local oligarchic sectors." Despite the onslaught, the organization reaffirms its conviction that "the unbreakable will of the Venezuelan people and their right to self-determination will prevail," citing the nation's two hundred years of independence history.

Venezuela's history of resistance was highlighted, from the emancipatory feats of the 19th century to the defense of national sovereignty against blockades and threats in the 20th century. REDH affirmed that "that same dignity inherited from Bolívar and the liberators rises once again to repel the aggression."

The organization expressed its "broadest support for the call of the Bolivarian government for popular mobilization and for all social forces to reject this imperialist attack." Furthermore, it called on the "Venezuelan people and their Bolivarian National Armed Forces to struggle and unite in defense of the homeland."

A key point of support from REDH is the "declaration of the state of External Commotion," an action they consider legitimate to protect the population, safeguard institutions, and organize the integral defense of the nation. The Network recognized "the inalienable right of Venezuela, protected under Article 51 of the UN Charter, to exercise legitimate defense against an armed aggression."

REDH extended an "urgent call to the peoples, artistic and intellectual communities, social movements, and governments in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the entire world, to activate militant and effective solidarity with Venezuela." They argued that the attack is not an isolated event, but "a blow against the sovereignty of all peoples and a dangerous precedent for humanity."

The organization urged the organization of "global protest, critical intellectual debate, and political pressure to stop this war of plunder." It concluded its communiqué by quoting Commander Hugo Chávez: "In the face of difficulties, however great, the response must be unity, struggle, battle, and victory. That is the slogan we assume today from the Network in Defense of Humanity."

ANSWER Coalition Calls for Mobilization

From the United States, the ANSWER Coalition is also raising its voice forcefully against the military actions, declaring: "This war is not about drug trafficking or democracy, but about stealing Venezuela's oil and dominating Latin America." The group characterized the events as "a shocking escalation in a campaign of killings in international waters and piracy against civilian ships trading with Venezuela."

ANSWER Coalition issued a call to mobilization: "We must take to the streets and say no to another endless war! The people of this country do not want another war! A U.S. war would cause death and destruction to the people of Venezuela." The US organization also criticized military spending, noting that "the war machine consumes an unimaginable amount of our taxes, while working families struggle to make ends meet." Finally, it emphasized the social implications of the conflict: "In an all-out war with Venezuela, it will be working-class youth who are sent to kill and die, not the children of ExxonMobil and Lockheed Martin executives. The people must take to the streets and say no to Trump's war on Venezuela!"

These events are unfolding within a framework of maximum aggression from Washington. The Venezuelan government denounced the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, which began in August and includes destroyers, a nuclear submarine, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and over 4,000 military personnel. This is compounded by the naval blockade announced by the Trump administration on December 16. However, the Venezuelan government considers this military move a violation of international law.