A growing coalition of allied organisations is calling for Australia to break from the empire that maintains the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, has violated the sovereignty of Venezuela by bombing and kidnapping President Maduro & Cilia Flores, strangles Cuba and other nations with devastating sanctions, maintains an unwanted presence of military bases and political power in Australia and continues to hold the world in subservience through militaristic threats and terrorism.

The newly established CAUSE (Coalition Against the United States Empire) organised a rally in Adelaide on 5th February where there were speeches, live music and to call for an end to United States imperialism.

The following speech was given IPAN-SA member Diane Atkinson

I want to begin by acknowledging that we stand on the land of the Kaurna people, and acknowledge the leadership role they fulfill in their ongoing struggle against colonialism.

The countries of Latin America have been struggling against colonialism, and for their second independence.  Their first independence struggle was led by the Venezuelan Simon Bolivar, and it won independence from Spain.  The second independence is from the United States.  Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua and Mexico have made serious progress in winning their independence.  Bolivia and Ecuador had temporary successes that have been reversed for now.  Chile suffered a terrible military coup planned and supported by the United States, but the struggle continues.

So when the press says that Venezuela is a dictatorship, we have to understand that this is the narrative that the United States has tried to impose, and that it has a lot of power to impose its narrative. 

Under Trump, these narratives become less important.  There was some attempt to say that Venezuela is a drug exporter before he invaded, but that didn’t gain much traction.

Now Trump simply says that Venezuelan oil belongs to the United States, and so the reason for military intervention is exposed.  Even so, we still hear those old narratives about dictatorship being repeated by progressives.  I saw an email from Getup repeating this line, even while they protest the kidnapping of the president and his wife. 

We need to hear from voices on the ground in Venezuela, so the role of independent journalists becomes very important. 

One such independent journalist who has reported from Venezuela is Abby Martin.  She reported during the last round of protests inside Venezuela.

Any country that has suffered from colonialism has problems.  Venezuela has oil wealth, but this wealth benefitted only about 30% of the population, prior to the Bolivarian revolution.  Some 60% suffered abject poverty, with zero access to health care, and very low food security.  The Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela has brought health care and food security to the poorest people.  However, there are huge problems including the US blockade imposed in 2019, which has crippled the oil industry.  When Chevron stopped pumping oil, the heavy oil present in the equipment hardened into bitumen, which is why production is down to 18% of former levels.  This has led to a drop in living standards of the middle class.  Many people have emigrated for this reason.  There was a genuine element to the protests, but there was also US intervention, people being paid to commit acts of violence amongst the protesters, including attacks on police; attacks on civilians, including burning people alive; in an effort to discredit the Venezuelan government.  Abby Martin needed great courage to report on these events, because the paid saboteurs were targeting journalists.  That was because the United States didn’t want the truth to get out.

My organisation, the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network or IPAN, is in solidarity with the people of Venezuela, Latin America, and the global south, because we also want independence from the United States for Australia.  We want to end AUKUS and the Force Posture Agreement that tie us to the empire of chaos, which is promoting war throughout the world.  We want to divorce Australia from the US war machine.  

In late July, IPAN will be touring independent journalist Abby Martin in Australia.  She will speak at our conference, updating us on the latest actions of the US empire.  Her latest film, Earth’s Greatest Enemy, will be shown in the city and in Semaphore.  This film highlights the huge carbon emissions of the US war machine.  It shows how this war machine threatens our collective security, by preventing an effective response to climate change.

Here in South Australia we are very much a part of the United States’ war machine.  US companies produce arms that are used to kill those who seek independence.  Our young people are encouraged to work for these companies, and to join this war machine.  We want a different future.  We stand in solidarity with all people who want peace and independence, and this very much includes the people of Venezuela.