Spain Civil War era poster honoring the International Brigades. Photo: Tribune Mag/File photo up-scaled by Orinoco Tribune.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Monday, Secretary General of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Diosdado Cabello said that Venezuela will welcome support from people around the world to help defend the country from an imminent US military aggression.
Cabello’s statement came during the party’s weekly press conference in response to a question from Resumen Latinoamericano journalist Geraldina Colotti. She inquired about President Nicolás Maduro’s comments on Sunday regarding the creation of an internationalist militia brigade of indigenous peoples from the continent and asked if the PSUV would organize general international brigades similar to those formed to fight Franco’s fascist dictatorship during Spain’s Civil War.
“If we have not publicly called for the peoples of the world to organize to defend our country, I take this opportunity to do so from this moment, that from anywhere in the world, here is Venezuela, which is being attacked, and any help you can give us is welcome,” Cabello answered. “Here you will be received as brothers of life. Brothers of life. Love is repaid with love. That is what they say around here.”
The PSUV leader stated that Venezuela is facing a phase of aggression. “I do not know if it is phase one, two, or three of siege, because a war today is different from the wars of a few years ago and a few decades ago. We are in a war, are we not? Right now, since Commander Chávez arrived, they’ve been threatening us and taking action against the economy,” Cabello added.
A ‘false positive’ for war
Cabello explained that the US uses the “war on drugs” argument for military intervention in Venezuela as a “false positive” to manipulate public opinion and gain legitimacy.
He emphasized that if US authorities aspire to end drug trafficking, they should combat the narcotics transported along the coasts of South America toward the Pacific Ocean, where 87% of drugs are moved, and arrest the US cartels that supply millions of US consumers, rather than unjustifiably threatening Venezuela.
The PSUV secretary general noted that Venezuela uses all diplomatic mechanisms to avoid violent conflict. He said that since Commander Hugo Chávez came to power, the country has been characterized by promoting peace diplomacy. Therefore, in the face of the US government’s military deployment in the Caribbean, Venezuela requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council so that “if anyone was unclear about the scope of the siege, they will now be clear.”
Military support from other countries
Concluding his statements, Cabello expanded on the question about international militia brigades. He revealed that military and police forces in the region, including from countries currently controlled by far-right forces, have sent messages of full support in case of foreign aggression.
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“Military forces from the region have sent similar messages, telling us that if they [the United States] mess with Venezuela, they will support Venezuela. We have received this from military forces, from countries… not necessarily with governments close to us, that if there is an aggression against Venezuela, they will show up to support Venezuela,” Cabello said.
He added that “indigenous peoples and military and police forces from other countries will come to Venezuela to support the homeland, which has done nothing but work in peace.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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