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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Regime Change Fails: Is A Military Coup Or Invasion Of Venezuela Next?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, <a href="http://www.PopularResistance.org'"><span style='color:blue'>Popular Resistance</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>February 13, 2018 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>| <a href="https://popularresistance.org/educate/"><span style='color:blue'>Educate!</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Speaking at his alma mater, the University of Texas, on February 1, Secretary of State <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tillerson-brings-up-possibility-of-regime-change-in-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>Tillerson suggested a potential military coup in Venezuela</span></a>. <a href="https://popularresistance.org/tillerson-on-latin-american-tour-calling-for-regime-change-in-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>Tillerson then visited allied Latin American countries</span></a> urging regime change and more economic sanctions on Venezuela. Tillerson is considering banning the processing or sale of Venezuelan oil in the United States and is discouraging other countries from buying Venezuelan oil. Further, the US is laying the groundwork for war against Venezuela.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In a series of tweets, Senator <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/418357-rubio-calls-military-coup-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>Marco Rubio</span></a>, the Republican from Florida, where many Venezuelan oligarchs live, called for a military coup in Venezueala.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>How absurd — remove an elected president with a military coup to restore democracy? Does that pass the straight face test? This refrain of Rubio and Tillerson seems to be the nonsensical public position of US policy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The <a href="https://popularresistance.org/venezuelas-continuous-coup/"><span style='color:blue'>US has been seeking regime change in Venezuela since Hugo Chavez was elected</span></a> in 1998. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Trump-Pursues-Regime-Change-in-Venezuela-20170216-0015.html"><span style='color:blue'>Trump joined Presidents Obama and Bush before him in continuing efforts to change</span></a> the government and put in place a US-friendly oligarch government.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>They came closest in<a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/telesuragenda/Anniversary-of-Venezuelas-2002-Coup--20150411-0022.html"><span style='color:blue'> 2002 when a military coup removed Chavez.</span></a> The Commander-in-Chief of the Venezuelan military announced Chavez had resigned and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Carmona" title="Pedro Carmona"><span style='color:blue'>Pedro Carmona</span></a>, of the Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce, became interim president. Carmona dissolved the National Assembly and Supreme Court and declared the Constitution void. The people surrounded the presidential palace and seized television stations, Carmona resigned and fled to Colombia. Within 47 hours, civilians and the military restored Chavez to the presidency. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/The-47-Hour-Coup-That-Changed-Everything-20150411-0018.html"><span style='color:blue'>The coup was a turning point</span></a> that strengthened the Bolivarian Revolution, showed people could defeat a coup and exposed the US and oligarchs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>US Regime Change Tactics Have Failed In Venezuela</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The US and oligarchs continue their efforts to reverse the Bolivarian Revolution. The US has a long history of regime change around the world and has tried all of its regime change tools in Venezuela. So far they have failed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Economic War</span></u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br>Destroying the Venezuelan economy has been an ongoing campaign by the US and oligarchs. It is <a href="https://popularresistance.org/kissinger-nixon-and-chile-the-coups-declassified-record/"><span style='color:blue'>reminiscent of the US coup in Chile</span></a> which ended the presidency of Salvador Allende. To create the environment for the Chilean coup, President Nixon ordered the CIA to “make the economy scream.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Henry Kissinger devised the coup noting a billion dollars of investment were at stake. He also feared the “the insidious model effect” of the example of Chile leading to other countries breaking from the United States and capitalism. Kissinger’s top deputy at the National Security Council, Viron Vaky, opposed the coup saying, “What we propose is patently a violation of our own principles and policy tenets .… If these principles have any meaning, we normally depart from them only to meet the gravest threat . . . our survival.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>These objections hold true regarding recent US coups, including in Venezuela and Honduras, Ukraine and Brazil, among others. Allende died in the coup and <a href="https://popularresistance.org/salvador-allendes-last-words/"><span style='color:blue'>wrote his last words to the people of Chile</span></a>, especially the workers, “Long live the people! Long live the workers!” He was replaced by Augusto Pinochet, <a href="https://popularresistance.org/the-chilean-911-justice-for-victor-jara/"><span style='color:blue'>a brutal and violent dictator</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>For decades the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/venezuela-on-april-11-2002-coup-to-2015-economic-war/"><span style='color:blue'>US has been fighting an economic war</span></a>, “making the economy scream,” in Venezuela. Wealthy Venezuelans have been conducting economic sabotage aided by the US with sanctions and other tactics. This includes <a href="https://popularresistance.org/the-us-covert-war-on-venezuela-in-2015/"><span style='color:blue'>hoarding food, supplies and other necessities</span></a> in warehouses or in Colombia while Venezuelan markets are bare. The scarcity is used to fuel protests, e.g. “The March of the Empty Pots,” a carbon copy of marches in Chile before the September 11, 1973 coup. Economic warfare has escalated <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-led-economic-war-not-socialism-is-tearing-venezuela-apart/"><span style='color:blue'>through Obama</span></a> and <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-vastly-escalates-economic-war-on-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>under Trump</span></a>, with Tillerson now urging economic sanctions on oil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>President Maduro recognized the economic hardship but also said <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-vastly-escalates-economic-war-on-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>sanctions open up the opportunity for a new era of independence</span></a> and “begins the stage of post-domination by the United States, with Venezuela again at the center of this struggle for dignity and liberation.” The second-in-command of the Socialist Party, <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/venezuela-presidential-election-ordered-april-180123180405804.html"><span style='color:blue'>Diosdado Cabello, said,</span></a> “[if they] apply sanctions, we will apply elections.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Opposition Protests<br></span></u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Another common US regime change tool is supporting opposition protests. The <a href="https://popularresistance.org/renewed-attempts-at-regime-change-in-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>Trump administration renewed regime change operations</span></a> in Venezuela and the anti-Maduro protests, which began under Obama, grew more violent. The opposition protests included barricades, snipers and murders as well as widespread injuries. When police arrested those using violence, the US claimed Venezuela opposed free speech and protests.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The opposition tried to use the crack down against violence to achieve the US tactic of dividing the military. The <a href="https://popularresistance.org/world-ignores-opposition-violence-at-venezuela-protests/"><span style='color:blue'>US and western media ignored opposition violence</span></a> and blamed the Venezuelan government instead. Violence became so extreme it looked like the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/will-us-regime-change-operations-in-venezuela-create-a-civil-war/"><span style='color:blue'>opposition was pushing Venezuela into a Syrian-type civil war</span></a>. Instead, opposition violence backfired on them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Violent protests are part of US regime change repertoire. This was demonstrated in the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/chronology-of-the-ukrainian-coup/"><span style='color:blue'>US coup in Ukraine</span></a>, where the US spent $5 billion to organize government opposition including <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-and-eu-are-paying-ukrainian-rioters-and-protesters/"><span style='color:blue'>US and EU funding violent protesters</span></a>. This tactic was used in early US coups like the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/cia-confirms-role-in-1953-iran-coup/"><span style='color:blue'>1953 Iran coup</span></a> of Prime Minister Mossadegh. <a href="https://popularresistance.org/state-department-finally-releases-updated-official-history-of-iran-coup/"><span style='color:blue'>The US has admitted</span></a> organizing this <a href="https://popularresistance.org/the-moment-the-u-s-ended-irans-brief-experiment-in-democracy/"><span style='color:blue'>coup that ended Iran’s brief experience with democracy</span></a>. Like Venezuela, a key reason for the Iran coup was control of the nation’s oil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Funding Opposition<br></span></u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>There has been <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-funded-ngos-new-face-of-destabilization-in-latin-america/"><span style='color:blue'>massive US investment in creating opposition to the Venezuelan government</span></a>. Tens of millions of dollars have been openly spent through USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy and other related US regime change agencies. It is unknown how much the CIA has spent from its secret budget, but the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/cia-says-they-are-working-with-mexico-colombia-to-overthrow-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>CIA has also been involved in Venezuela.</span></a> Current CIA director, Mike <a href="https://popularresistance.org/cia-says-they-are-working-with-mexico-colombia-to-overthrow-venezuela/"><span style='color:blue'>Pompeo, said</span></a> he is “hopeful there can be a transition in Venezuela.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The <a href="https://popularresistance.org/are-u-s-backed-right-wing-groups-trying-oust-venezuelas-elected-government/"><span style='color:blue'>United States has also educated leaders of opposition movements</span></a>, e.g. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Distorted-Democracy-of-Leopoldo-Lopez-20150129-0022.html"><span style='color:blue'>Leopoldo López</span></a> was educated at private schools in the US, including the CIA-associated Kenyon College. He was groomed at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and made repeated visits to the regime change agency, the National Republican Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Elections</span></u><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br>While the US calls Venezuela a dictatorship, it is in fact a strong democracy with an excellent voting system. Election observers monitor every election.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>In 2016, the economic crisis led to the opposition winning a majority in the National Assembly. One of their first acts was to <a href="https://popularresistance.org/in-venezuela-amnesty-bill-right-wing-confesses-to-17-years-of-crimes/"><span style='color:blue'>pass an amnesty law</span></a>. The law described 17 years of crimes including violent felonies and terrorism committed by the opposition. It was an admission of crimes back to the 2002 coup and through 2016. The law demonstrated violent treason against Venezuela. One month later, the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/venezuelas-supreme-court-strikes-down-amnesty-law/"><span style='color:blue'>Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled the amnesty law was unconstitutional</span></a>. US media, regime change advocates and anti-Venezuela human rights groups <a href="https://popularresistance.org/us-imperialists-criticize-venezuela-court-for-blocking-political-violence-amnesty/"><span style='color:blue'>attacked the Supreme Court decision</span></a>, showing their alliance with the admitted criminals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Years of violent protests and regime change attempts, and then admitting their crimes in an amnesty bill, have caused those opposed to the Bolivarian Revolution to lose power and become unpopular. In three recent elections Maduro’s party <a href="https://popularresistance.org/chavistas-take-17-of-23-states-in-venezuelan-regional-elections-as-opposition-cries-fraud/"><span style='color:blue'>won regional, </span></a> <a href="https://popularresistance.org/the-people-of-venezuela-successfully-fight-regime-change/"><span style='color:blue'>local</span></a> and the <a href="https://popularresistance.org/venezuela-elections-resurgent-chavismo-and-unrecognised-democracy/"><span style='color:blue'>Constituent Assembly</span></a> elections.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The electoral commission announced the <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Presidential-Elections-Set-for-April-22-20180207-0034.html"><span style='color:blue'>presidential election will be held on April 22</span></a>. Maduro will run for re-election with the United Socialist Party. Opposition leaders such as Henry Ramos and Henri Falcon have expressed interest in running, but the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-ponders-whether-to-fight-maduro-in-vote-idUSKBN1FS29E"><span style='color:blue'>opposition has not decided whether to participate</span></a>. <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/henrique-capriles-venezuela-banned-public-office-170407230838078.html"><span style='color:blue'>Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Maduro in the last election, was banned from running for office</span></a> because of irregularities in his campaign, including taking foreign donations. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Bans-Capriles-From-Running-for-Office-for-15-Years-20170407-0019.html"><span style='color:blue'>Capriles</span></a> has been a leader of the violent protests. When his ban was announced he called for protests to remove Maduro from office. Also banned was <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Distorted-Democracy-of-Leopoldo-Lopez-20150129-0022.html"><span style='color:blue'>Leopoldo Lopez</span></a>, another leader of the violent protests who is under house arrest <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-protests-rage-jailed-lopez-supporters-stage-vigil-idUSKBN1801OI"><span style='color:blue'>serving a thirteen year sentence for inciting violence</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Now, the United States says it will not recognize the presidential election and urges a military coup. For two years, the opposition demanded presidential elections, but now it is unclear whether they will participate. They know they are unpopular and Maduro is likely to be re-elected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Is War Against Venezuela Coming?</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A military coup faces challenges in Venezuela as the people, including the military, are well educated about US imperialism. Tillerson openly urging a military coup makes it more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The government and opposition recently negotiated a peace settlement entitled “Democratic Coexistence Agreement for Venezuela.” They <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Government-Opposition-to-Sign-Peace-Deal-20180205-0003.html"><span style='color:blue'>agreed on all of the issues</span></a> including ending economic sanctions, scheduling elections and more. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Rodriguez-Venezuelan-Right-Advocates-For-Violence-and-War-20180211-0024.html"><span style='color:blue'>They agreed on the date of the next presidential election.</span></a> It was originally planned for March, but in a concession to the opposition, it was rescheduled for the end of April. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Maduro-Signs-Agreement-Opposition-Backs-Out-20180208-0015.html"><span style='color:blue'>Maduro signed the agreement</span></a> even though the <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Maduro-Signs-Agreement-Opposition-Backs-Out-20180208-0015.html"><span style='color:blue'>opposition did not attend</span></a> the signing ceremony. They backed out after Colombian President Santos, who was meeting with Secretary Tillerson, called and told them not to sign. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Rodriguez-Venezuelan-Right-Advocates-For-Violence-and-War-20180211-0024.html"><span style='color:blue'>Maduro will now make the agreement a public issue</span></a> by allowing the people of Venezuela to sign it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Not recognizing elections and urging a military coup are bad enough, but more disconcerting is that <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Bolivian-President-Condemns-US-Military-Meeting-in-Colombia-20180211-0017.html"><span style='color:blue'>Admiral Kurt Tidd, head of Southcom, held a closed door meeting in Colombia</span></a> after Tillerson’s visit. The topic was “regional destabilization” and Venezuela was a focus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A military attack on Venezuela from its Colombian and Brazilian borders is not far fetched. In January, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/opinion/united-states-venezuela-attack.html"><span style='color:blue'>the NY Times asked</span></a>, “Should the US military invade Venezuela?” President <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/world/americas/trump-venezuela-military.html"><span style='color:blue'>Trump said the US is considering US military force</span></a> against Venezuela. His chief of staff, John Kelly, was formerly the general in charge of Southcom. <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/More-Bases-Military-Exercises-The-ParaMilitary-Option-Against-Venezuela-in-Action-20170918-0023.html"><span style='color:blue'>Tidd has claimed the crisis</span></a>, created in large part by the economic war against Venezuela, requires military action for humanitarian reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/The-Combat-Order-Was-Given-Santos-War-Against-Venezuela.-20180211-0018.html"><span style='color:blue'>War preparations are already underway</span></a> in Colombia, which plays the role of Israel for the US in Latin America. The coup government in Brazil, <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Temer-Hikes-Military-Budget-After-Axing-Social-Spending-20170313-0001.html"><span style='color:blue'>increased its military budget 36 percent</span></a>, and participated in <a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/operation-america-united-a-military-drill-with-vast-amazonian-aspirations/234065/"><span style='color:blue'>Operation: America United</span></a>, the largest joint military exercise in Latin American history. It was <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/More-Bases-Military-Exercises-The-ParaMilitary-Option-Against-Venezuela-in-Action-20170918-0023.html"><span style='color:blue'>one of four military exercises by the US</span></a> <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Announces-US-Backed-Military-Drills-at-South-America-Triple-Border-Zone-20170507-0017.html"><span style='color:blue'>with Brazil, Colombia and Peru</span></a> in Latin America in 2017. The US <a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/omnibus-defense-bill-puts-venezuela-in-us-military-cross-hairs/233800/"><span style='color:blue'>Congress ordered the Pentagon to develop military contingencies</span></a> for Venezuela in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>While there is <a href="https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Resisting-US-Military-Bases-and-Pentagon-Strategies-in-Latin-America--20180126-0015.html"><span style='color:blue'>opposition to US military bases</span></a>, <a href="http://clearingthefogradio.org/latin-american-resistance-and-united-states-imperialism/"><span style='color:blue'>James Patrick Jordan explains, on our radio show,</span></a> the US has military bases in Colombia and the Caribbean and military agreements with countries in the region; and therefore, Venezuela is already surrounded.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The United States is targeting Venezuela because the Bolivarian Revolution provides an example against US imperialism. An invasion of Venezuela will become another war-quagmire that kills innocent Venezuelans, US soldiers and others over control of oil. People in the United States who support the self-determination of countries should show solidarity with Venezuelans, expose the US agenda and publicly denounce regime change. We need to educate people about what is really happening in Venezuela to overcome the false media coverage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=left style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:left'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Share this article and <a href="http://clearingthefogradio.org/latin-american-resistance-and-united-states-imperialism/"><span style='color:blue'>the interview we did on Clearing The FOG about Venezuela</span></a> and the US’ role in Latin America. The fate of Venezuela is critical for millions of Latin Americans struggling under the domination of US Empire.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>