What Do We Need: Anti-Imperialism! When Do We Need It: Now!

DSA and PSL have called for protests this weekend to fight Trump’s war against Venezuela and protest the ICE murder of Renee Good. There must be protests, but their demands, such as “pass the war powers resolution,” which already failed twice, look to the Democrats in Congress as the answer. The Democrats’ main objection to the war is that they didn’t get to vote for it first! The Democrats have been the biggest warmongers against Venezuela, they imposed sanctions on them and Biden put a 25 million-dollar bounty on Maduro’s head. Don’t forget, this is also the party of Palestinian genocide!

Democratic Party mayors, from Mamdani to Johnson to Frey to Bass, all play the same fundamental role: keeping workers and the oppressed chained to this party of the class enemy! You cannot be anti-imperialist and at the same time promote illusions in any way in the bloodiest party of U.S. imperialism! Remember Hiroshima, remember Vietnam, remember Palestine—Democratic Party, we know which side you’re on!

Liberal pacifist demands like “No war for oil” are useless. PSL’s and DSA’s demands all evade taking a clear side with Venezuela. It is essential and good that they demand Maduro’s release! But if this demand is not tied to pushing forward the resistance to U.S. imperialism, it’s meaningless. We call on all revolutionaries to join us in anti-imperialist contingents in these protests to demand: Defend Venezuela! Release Maduro now!

Let’s get real here: the only force that can defend Venezuela and free Maduro is the working class taking action in its own name. DSA has put forward a model resolution for workers to take into their unions. It is good that they are looking to the unions, but the resolution is geared toward appealing to Democrats and doesn’t actually commit them to do anything real. Any resolution that doesn’t demand the unions do something is just a scrap of paper. It is absolutely crucial that organized labor take a stand with Venezuela. The U.S. rulers’ attack on Venezuela is directly tied to their attacks on the living and working conditions of the masses in the U.S. If they get away with bringing Venezuela down, it’s open season on us all. ICE’s execution in Minneapolis of Renee Good is the tip of the iceberg.

Trump will not stop at Venezuela, he has already threatened Cuba, Colombia and Mexico. The working class in the most powerful country on earth cannot remain silent as these attacks continue to rain down. Any blow against the U.S. imperialists will not only strengthen the Venezuelan resistance but also strengthen the position of workers here to fight for their needs and throw a wrench into Trump’s plans of strangling us all.

The reason labor hasn’t come out for immigrants here or against war abroad is because labor leaders push the lie that what’s good for imperialism is good for workers too. Unions should have an organized presence at these protests and not as isolated workers. Labor mobilizing in these protests to stand with Venezuela would be a big step forward toward labor action against war and for an anti-imperialist alliance with the masses of Latin America.

All with Venezuela! Down with U.S. Imperialism!