Venezuelan Collectives: Defending Social Democracy
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Activist Venezuelan collectives (aka collectivos) are world’s apart from how establishment media portray them.
They’re Bolivarian social organizations throughout the country, including community, environmental and feminist groups, others involved in cultural, education and various other activities.
Their common theme is defending Bolivarian social democracy they want preserved and protected from internal and foreign dark forces wanting it eliminated.
They have nothing to do with involvement in street violence, engaged in by US-supported gangs of hooligans, armed or otherwise.
In 2006, the Communal Council Law began the process of establishing communal councils throughout Venezuela nationwide – later replaced by the 2009 Communal Council Law.
The nation’s Social Development and Popular Participation Ministry, later the Communes Ministry, mobilized activists to form government funded communal councils, encouraging ordinary Venezuelans to become involved in defending the revolution from internal and external efforts to undermine it.
Lead by local spokespeople, decisions are approved by citizen assemblies – based on the principle of participatory democracy.
Chavez instituted revolutionary social change. Maduro carries his torch. Democracy the way it should be in Venezuela affirms speech, media, academic, and other fundamental freedoms.
The nation’s resources are used mainly to provide education, healthcare, and other vital social services to all Venezuelans. Communal groups/collectives aim to defend the letter and spirit of Bolivarianism, what’s too precious to lose.
The Trump regime wants US-controlled fascist tyranny replacing it. The vast majority of ordinary people want foreign powers to keep hands off Venezuela. They want social programs continued unobstructed.
US and supportive media demonization of Chavez and Maduro continues to feature managed news misinformation, disinformation, and Big Lies – calling them dictators, demagogues, caudillos, and other pejoratives.
Activist collectives (collectivos) involved in defending social democracy peacefully are falsely demonized as street thugs.
Because of its global reach, the NYT is the lead press agent for Trump regime coup plot against Venezuela.
The self-styled newspaper of record turned truth on its head, calling collectives “a phalanx of red jackets and dark clothes, some with faces covered, revving motorcycles before…protesters in Caracas,” adding:
“They thr(ow) tear gas canisters to disperse…crowd(s). Then, witnesses say, they (pull) pistols and (fire)…(They’re) members of armed bands who have become key enforcers for President Nicolas Maduro as he attempts to crush a growing protest movement against his rule.”
“The groups, called collectives or colectivos…originated as pro-government community organizations that have long been a part of the landscape of leftist Venezuelan politics. Civilians with police training, colectivo members are armed by the government, say experts who have studied them.”
“Colectivos control vast territory across Venezuela, financed in some cases by extortion, black-market food and parts of the drug trade as the government turns a blind eye in exchange for loyalty. Now they appear to be playing a key role in repressing dissent.”
All of the above are bald-faced Big Lies, typical Times rubbish, suppressing hard truths, featuring propaganda, opposing social democracy in Venezuela, the US, and everywhere else.
The same goes for other establishment media, featuring the similar disinformation, Big Lies and fake news.
On Saturday, Chavistas turned out in force, rallying against US imperial aims, supporting Maduro, rejecting foreign interventionism in all forms.
Addressing a huge Caracas crowd, Maduro said “(w)e are going to defend peace in every corner, parish, municipality, avenue, community and neighborhood,” adding:
“They are not going to take away our peace. We are fixing the electrical system from the imperialist bestial attacks.”
Cyber-terrorism and other sabotage of Venezuela’s electricity grid were carried out from the US, Colombia, and Chile, he explained.
“Today, more than five million Venezuelans mobilized all over the country for the operation in support of the freedom and it was successful,” he said.
He asked Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia, along with Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) countries to help establish “dialogue for achievement of mutual understanding among Venezuelans.”
“I confirm my desire and readiness to find a solution through talks for the sake of the future of the country,” he stressed.
The US rejects diplomatic conflict resolution efforts in Venezuela, Syria, and elsewhere, wanting its will forced on other nations – what the scourge of imperialism is all about.
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