Venezuela
Peoples Forum pamphlet: Why Venezuela The collection is an invaluable resource for an introduction to revolutionary Venezuela. It covers the ideological foundations and development of the Bolivarian Revolution and the historic roots of the internal and external opposition. While learning about the ongoing historic process, readers can also understand the difficulties and contradictions involved in a country with a legacy of chronic dependency and debt trying to develop its productive forces and reorganize the social relations of production in a world still dominated by monopoly capitalism – all while being under constant attack.
Orinoco Tribune: President Maduro: Feminism stems from the struggle against capitalism, the patriarchal society “Feminism can only exist in a socialist society. Feminism stems from the struggle against capitalism, the patriarchal society, and the exploitation that women have endured and still endure.” Maduro emphasized that the roots of the feminist movement lie in the battle against “discrimination, the portrayal of women as inferior to men, and the false, exploitative ideology of patriarchy.” He also inaugurated the Walk of the Heroines of Resistance and Independence, featuring monumental statues of revolutionary women leaders such as Apacuana, Eulalia Buroz, Cecilia Mujica, Josefa Camejo, Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi, Marta Cumbale, Josefa Joaquina Sánchez, Bárbara de la Torre, Juana Ramírez, Ana María Campos, Manuelita Sáenz, and Bartolina Sisa.
Venezuelanalysis: US ramps up Economic Sanctions After forcing Chevron out of Venezuela, US officials granted similar 30-day wind-down periods to French corporation Maurel & Prom and the US’ Global Oil Terminals. The latter conglomerate had secured a significant asphalt import deal until 2026. European companies Eni (Italy) and Repsol (Spain), which increased their activities in Venezuela in recent years with US Treasury approval, are expected to be driven out in the coming weeks as well.
Venezuelanalysis: State-owned Petrochemical Firm may be Privatized to Survive Tightening Sanctions Venezuelan state-owned agrochemical company Monómeros may be privatized and sold in order to save it from sanctions. The company operates under sanctions waivers issued by the US government, and it is widely expected that this waiver will not be renewed.
Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela: SouthCom Tries to Create a Gulf of Tonkin Scenario in Essequibo together with Guyana and Exxon-MobilFebruary 18, Guyana reported an alleged attack against its troops in Essequibo. It asserted six Guyanese soldiers were wounded when “Venezuelan” armed men opened fire. Venezuela rejected these accusations as a “vile fabrication” to cover up the repeated violations of the international legal framework committed by Guyana in the disputed territory. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali—dubbed the “Zelensky of the Caribbean” for his role as a proxy in the conflict against Venezuela—accused Venezuela of incursions into waters he claims belong to Guyana. Venezuela’s military disclosed the presence of 28 foreign drilling vessels and tankers in undelimited waters operating with Ali’s government consent. These activities violate international law and the Geneva Agreement, the sole legal framework for resolving the territorial dispute. By presenting Venezuela as an imminent threat, it seeks to pressure the White House to prioritize this dispute as a regional security issue.
Al Mayadeen: Minister Cabello explains the Exxon-Mobil/Maria C Machado allianceExxonMobil seeks to take control of Venezuela’s natural resources and has therefore funded a lobbying group to persuade the US government to revoke the license allowing Chevron to operate in the country, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello revealed. He said Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar is a partner of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in managing funds they receive from ExxonMobil. The company finances Machado and all her affiliated media lobbying groups to undermine Chevron and conspire against Venezuela. Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, had offered his services to Machado to carry out assassinations in Venezuela.
Venezuela’s Vice President: ExxonMobil Promotes Counter-revolution against VenezuelaVP Delcy Rodriguez stated Exxon-Mobil document, “Sanctions on Venezuela’s Oil: Less Money Means Less Power,” was crafted to influence US authorities with counter-revolutionary plans in Venezuela. “What is most shocking is that the document encourages more migration, because it creates real political despair among the Venezuelan people who are forced to cross borders due to the economic blockade and sanctions.”
Peoples World: Interview with Venezuela’s Ambassador to Bolivia with a North American delegationAmbassador Trompiz graciously spent almost two hours with us on our delegation. Instead of giving us a prepared speech, he said, which might cover issues we weren’t so interested in, he proposed instead a round of Q&As in which he would speak frankly. Everyone got to ask whatever they wanted. The following is not an official transcript, but a journalist’s paraphrase as accurate as possible.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega: The Revolution in China continues, and now offers itself to the World as a Revolution bringing Peace, bringing Well-being, bringing Solidarity to the Peoples(March 8) Clara Zetkin, who in 1910 at a Conference of Socialist Women, in Copenhagen, and there she proposed and approved the Celebration of Working Women’s Day, because it was mainly Working Women who were marginalized and exploited. And the following year the First Commemoration took place, on March 19th 1911…A struggle that we have been waging here in Nicaragua as well, to defeat and eliminate, to extirpate, from our Nation, the manifestations of machismo, which in some cases result in causing pain, even tragedy in some Families…Youth is the determining force! We have a Youth that has been forged in the heat of the battles that we have fought over these years, defending the Rights of Women, defending the Rights of the People…. the Revolution in China has not stopped, the Revolution in China continues, and now offers itself to the World as a Revolution bringing Peace, bringing Well-being, bringing Solidarity to the Peoples, it does not carry Sanctions, nor does it carry threats, nor does it carry wars. It is a Revolution of Peace, the Revolution led by the Chinese Communist Party. We very much appreciate the Cooperation they are offering us in all fields….Co-President Rosario Murillo: the plague of machismo, which is still something in our culture that we have to combat and overcome…we always thought and said that without Revolution it is difficult to achieve women’s rights…machismo is a form of hatred, it is a culture of hatred that must be abandoned, and a lack of culture which injures us all, and destroys us.
Cuba
Resumen Latinoamericano: Seven Blockade Measures the Trump Adm has taken against Cuba The Trump gov has managed to push through seven measures against Cuba raising the collective punishment imposed by the US blockade to unbearable levels. (1) Reinstatement of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism; (2) Reinstatement of the list of restricted Cuban entities; (3) Reactivation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act; (4) Suspension of the license for remittances transactions; (5) Suspension of humanitarian parole and family reunification; (6) Suspension of visas for exchanges; (7) Visa restrictions on collaborators of Cuban cooperation programs.
Peoples World (Tom Whitney) USAID in Cuba Recipients of these humanitarian aid contracts have complained about the recent voiding of 90% of USAID contracts, worth $54 billion. Beginning in the 1990s, USAID added so-called “democracy-promotion” programs to its roster of activities. Targeting left-leaning governments, these represent the “stick” corresponding to the “carrot” of humanitarian aid. Tracy Eaton showed that total US government spending from 2001 to 2021 aimed at political destabilization in Cuba amounted to $218,367,438.
Events
February 28- May 13: Sarah Woodward national speaking tour: Building Sustainable Communities, Insights from Nicaragua Sarah Woodard represents the Jubilee House Community, a nonprofit she helped form in 1979. She has worked the last 31 years in Nicaragua, with the Center for Development in Central America. The JHC-CDCA continues to respond to local needs, to help the poor accomplish what they see as their priorities, particularly in the areas of sustainable economic development, organic agriculture, health care, and education. Sarah’s tour will both update supporters on the JHC-CDCA’s work in Nicaragua and educate those in the global north on the amazing realities developing within Sandinista Nicaragua where both the social and political will are focused on helping the majority of the population, the poorest of the poor.
March 15-16: New York City Cuba conference Includes a delegation from the Federation of Cuban Women and the National Union of Cuban Jurists, and Venezuelan delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women
March 16 1:30 pm ET webinar: Sarah Woodard on Nicaragua and Grassroots Organization sign in at 1:30 pm ET to participate
March 27: Intro to Agroecology & Delegation Report-Back from Bolivia
April 13, 3 pm ET Nicaragua webinar with Sarah Woodard: Building Sustainable Communities: Insights from Nicaragua
May 18 webinar: Nicaraguan programs of maternal and child health, and a cross-national comparison, with Becca Renk, Magda Lanuza, and Jameela Alexander. Registration link coming soon.
Delegations to Cuba, Nicaragua:
Cuba
April 17-May 3: Puerto Rico Brigada Juan Ruiz Rivera to Cuba
April 24- May 3+ LA Hands off Cuba Committee: Labor and Youth Delegation
April 26- May 3: The Nation: Havana and Trinidad
April 27-May 3/9: Building Relations with Cuban Labor May Day Delegation
April 27- May 10: Ernesto “Che” Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade
Different Brigades and Solidarity Trips to Cuba
Witness for Peace delegations to Cuba
Friendly Planet delegations to Cuba
Nicaragua
Casa Ben Linder Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:
June 2025: Global Health: Family and Community Health in Nicaragua
July 2025: Solidarity in Action: Nicaragua’s Popular Revolution
November 2025: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
Date TBD 2025: Co-ops and Communities: Cooperative Movement in Nicaragua
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This is also available at ChicagoALBASolidarity.org. If you have events to publicize, send them to venezuelaweekly@afgj.org or stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com.
Chicago ALBA Solidarity 