The South African Communist Party (SACP) held a successful march to the American Consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg today. About a 1000 demonstrators marched in defence of the sovereignty of Venezuela and its Bolivarian project, against threats by the US-led imperialism which has been expressed through the 9 March 2015 executive order by President Barack Obama, labelling the country an "unusual and extraordinary threat against the national security and foreign policy of the United States".
The US consulate officials declined to accept a written memorandum of demands conveyed through the South African Police Services (SAPS). The march proceeded in an orderly and peaceful manner. Demonstrators dispersed after a few hours of placards with messages affirming demands such as, `Stop US interference Now`, `Stop aggression against Venezuela` and `Venezuela is not and never again will be the colony of the United States`. The SACP in the province has vowed to intensify its `Hands off Venezuela" campaign and will announce future activities.
The memorandum of demands is attached below.
Issued by the SACP Gauteng province
Contact:
Jacob Mamabolo - SACP Gauteng Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 082 884 1868
Lucian Segami - SACP Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: +2779 5220 098
Office: +2711 339 3621/2
Website: www.sacp.org.za
Memorandum to the President of the United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama from the South African Communist Party (SACP) Handed on Friday 12 June 2015 at the United States Consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg
On this auspicious occasion coinciding with the African Union Summit, we the members of the South African Communist Party (SACP), gathered outside your Consulate in Johannesburg on Friday the 12th of June 2015 to exercise our constitutionally protected democratic right, in accordance with the South African constitution and our internationalism.
We protest the aggressive and irresponsible national emergency decree by the President of the United States His Excellency Barack Obama, taken on the 9 March 2015, declaring Venezuela "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States".
We express our strong support and firm solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to the Unified Socialist party of Venezuela (PSUV), the Communist Party of Venezuela (CPV) and the Government led by President Nicolás Maduro.
In violation of their right to self-determination, the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and their Government are `victims to an interventionist policy of United States imperialism`.
This is in spite of numerous declarations by the Bolivarian authorities extending a message of peace, solidarity and friendship to the people of the United States.
The government of the United States has not reciprocated this offer, except through the illegal use of force, military bases, threats and intimidation.
Venezuela is a model country, well endowed with natural resources. It has elected to put these resources to the service of its revolution. Venezuela strives to put the country`s hydrocarbons and mineral resources beyond the limited monopoly reach of corrupt political elites and greedy transnational corporations, as it was the case for many decades of political power under the rule of alternating pro-capitalist and compradorial governments.
It is time that the United States disposes of the basis of its anti-people offensive, which is the brazenly utopian view that Venezuelan can be subordinated to the interest of imperialism.
The national sovereignty and revolutionary democracy is a matter of principle for the people of Venezuela. The sovereign right of each state to pursue its own independent path of development corresponds to international law.
Venezuelan people have chosen through a democratic process, their commitment to build a society based on the ideological principles of Simón Bolívar.
Any attempt to disrupt their efforts and negate this right constitutes an act of aggression.
The people of Venezuela, having broken ranks with decades of neo-liberal politics that have imposed massive burden on the poor and untold human suffering have chosen to pursue the path of democratic reforms of the Republic through a new constitution. They have built a democratic, participatory and protagonist, multiethnic and multicultural society in a federal and decentralized state with justice. They guarantee the right to life, work, culture, education, social justice and equality without any discrimination.
For this reason they have been targets of several attempted coup de tats by foreign backed opposition and the right wing Venezuelan oligarchy.
The power of the people is "the organized expression of non-transferable sovereignty of the Venezuelan people."
They people supportive of the Bolivarian project have been violently attacked by legitimate political opposition of the Bolivarian Revolution, acting in cahoots with the sectors of the extreme and violent far-right.
The stability of their country has been endangered, along with their democratic system.
There have been numerous attempts to impose regime change agenda, a project rejected in multiple electoral opportunities for the last 15 years.
The democratically elected government of President Nicolas Maduro is a target of a low intensity war, by a mob with visceral hatred of accomplishments of their social system.
The opposition has created anarchy in the streets, despite lacking any coherent political program and being rejected by the people.
The majority of the Venezuelans, the majority of the Latin Americans, the majority of the progressive forces in the entire world do not want war and confrontation with the United States. They have chosen peace, solidarity and friendship with the people of the United States.
The Bolivarian path is illuminated by friendship and solidarity but is consistently overshadowed by aggression and subversion.
It is very clear, based on the point of view of the Bolivarian Government, that the surrender of the Bolivarian project to the empire is not an option.
Meanwhile, the government of President Maduro, accompanied by the majority of the Venezuelans and revolutionary people, are ready to defend their Revolution.
It is an open secret worldwide that the US Government has invested large sums of money to support the opposition in Venezuela to overthrow the Bolivarian Government.
The executive order of March 9, 2015 branding Venezuela as an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the security and foreign policy of the united states", is nothing but an alibi of the superiority of the Bolivarian project, over a decadent neoliberal capitalism of the United States.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY THEREFORE DENOUNCES THE DECREE AS MORALLY REPUGNANT AND OBJECTIONABLE
We demand that President Obama rescinds the aggressive and irresponsible decree:
We therefore call for:
Signed by:................................................ Signed by:................................
SACP Rep Name:................................... US Rep Name:.........................
Date: 12 June 2015 Date:12 June 2015
Sandton, Johannesburg Sandton, Johannesburg