For the last two days, we have tried to deliver food to Venezuela Embassy Protection Collective inside the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D.C. who are there to protect it from illegal takeover by Guaidó supporters, aided and abetted by a Trump, Bolton, Pompeo, Elliot Abram cabal. You can help by contacting your representatives in Congress now and telling them to prohibit an unconstitutional military intervention in Venezuela.
Why are we are inside the Venezuela Embassy?
We are there to protect it from a hostile takeover by an unelected group of Guaidó supporters, a takeover that would dangerously escalate the conflict. If the opposition takes over the D.C. Embassy, the Venezuelan government will probably take over the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela. The U.S. could consider this an act of war and use it as an excuse to invade. We can’t allow that to happen. That’s why, despite intense harassment and even a cut-off of our food supplies by right-wing thugs, our peaceful presence INSIDE the Embassy continues.
The White House has decided it has the power to take over a sovereign country and steal all of their resources, which include the largest oil reserves in the world. They have ripened this moment, as they did in Iraq by starving the people and sanctioning (stealing) the money that belongs to the people of Venezuela. But you don’t have to go to Venezuela to see this for yourself. You can come to the Venezuelan Embassy in D.C. They are starving us out. Witness the violence from the other side, the arrests of those delivering food, and the full-on impunity of all the violence from the Guiado opposition.
On Thursday, I came out to replenish food supplies but was arrested as I tried to get the bread, salad greens, and other food back inside. Right-wing pro-Guaidó/Trump supporters blocked the doors. Rather than helping me get food to people legally inside the embassy, the police arrested me. I am charged with "throwing missiles." The violent, misogynistic, racist opposition receive more respect and protection from Secret Service than those working peacefully outside, including Reverend Hagler and members of his congregation who came to provide support and sing hymns. Basically, the Police have let us know they work for Guiado and not us. And if we so much as breath over the barricades, we will be arrested. It's hard to believe that this is happening in the United States of America. There are "military/police" who are working for a violent opposition that is stealing and strangling the people of another country.
Meanwhile, inside Venezuela, Guaidó’s continued call for a military uprising threatens to plunge the country into a bloody coup that could lead to decades of war. And U.S. economic sanctions are leading to more misery. There needs to be mediation not war, like the Mexican government and the Vatican are calling for.
We need your help to stop this coup attempt!
Contact your representatives in Congress now. Tell them to speak out against a coup and U.S. military intervention. Tell them to prohibit an unconstitutional military intervention in Venezuela.
The aggressive abuse we are facing at the D.C. Embassy every day now, including physical assaults against Medea, Tighe and Ariel, are a microcosm of the violence being perpetrated by Guaidó followers and a warning of how devastating it will be if Donald Trump, John Bolton, and Elliot Abrams are successful in orchestrating their coup. It's more important than ever that we stop them.
We've seen this before — in Chile, Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Honduras, Libya, and Syria–and we know the process: impose sanctions to devastate the economy, provide financing and weapons to the opposition, sabotage peace processes, exploit human needs, name a “leader,” and install a government that will serve U.S. interests. It never turns about well for the people.
A U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela would only serve the interests of the U.S. and Venezuelan elite who stand to profit by taking over a country with the largest oil reserves in the world. We must prevent unnecessary bloodshed and suffering in Venezuela. Contact your representatives in Congress now. Tell them to vote to prevent a U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela!
Towards peace and diplomacy,
Ariel Gold and the entire CODEPINK team: Ann, Carley, Clara, Jodie, Kelly, Kelsey, Kirsten, Lily, Maya, Mark, Medea, Nancy, Paki, Ryan, Sarah, Tighe, Ursula and Zena
P.S. Click here to view all of the press coverage of our recent actions at the Embassy.