By Alexander Ionov
“Will you handle it?”
Chavistas have always been and will be the main engine of the ideas of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. It is the ideology of socialism of the 21st century which has played a leading role in social, political and economic recovery of this country. The nation got used to the fact that Venezuela was a colony of the United States for decades, and one dictator has been replaced by another. The revolution of minds, as Hugo Chavez called it, inspired people with a hope for a brighter future. Due to the social mission in the country, illiteracy was eliminated, normal medical care and a number of different subsidies for socially vulnerable people were introduced. Now these achievements are being put at threat!
In the winter of 2014, when the Russians were anxiously watching the Maidan events, a very similar situation occurred in Venezuela. The country has been experiencing unprecedented pressure from the United States. Due to a factitious shortage of food in the state stores nationwide, the number of discontent people has increased. The Americans began a systematic campaign of opposition pumping money. As a result, the country broke out, 3 of 8 states were covered by anti-government riots. Like in Ukraine, the opposition called students to the streets. Young people did not hide the fact that they got a lot of money for their protest.
December 6 in Venezuela the elections to the National Assembly (unicameral parliament) were won by the representatives of the pro-American opposition. The Americans got the main instrument – a direct impact on the country’s Constitution. That particular constitution was the basis of the Venezuela’s Bolivarian process. As soon as the opposition begins the process of political change in favor of the owners, the basic law of the country will be changed, and thus the revolution will be deprived of its foundations. Then the impeachment of the president will follow.
Russia should not allow these changes happen. We have been talking for a log time about the fact that Russian foreign policy has been always free from ambitions, we are not acting like the Americans. But now the time has come to defend the interests of not only Russia, but the interests of the peoples who are fighting for a multipolar world. If this is not done, then the fall of Venezuela will follow, a terrible economic crisis will begin in the countries of ALBA, MERCOSUR and UNASUR Unions. And then the Americans will call again Latin America as its “backyard.” Chavez predicted this, and so when he was leaving he asked his comrades “Will you handle it?”.