Sydney rally defends Venezuela against US threat

The protesters outside the US consulate in Sydney. Photo: Vlaudin Vega.

More than 40 people attended a rally in solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution, under the title "Hands off Venezuela", outside the US consulate in Sydney's Martin Place on March 21.

The Communist Party of Australia organised the rally and it was endorsed by the Australia Cuba Friendship Society (Sydney), Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network, Bolivarian Circle, Committee in Defence of Human Rights in Guatemala, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), Grupo Ibiray-Fondo Raul Sendic, Latin America Social Forum, Salvador Allende Monument Inc and the Socialist Alliance.

Speakers from the various supporting organisations condemned the US declaration of a "national security emergency" by US President Barack Obama, and stressed that the peoples of Venezuela and Latin America would never again accept US military and political intervention in the region's affairs.

They also called for increased solidarity internationally with Venezuela, including from Australia. The chants of "Yankee go home!" and "The people united will never be defeated" rang out across the square.

Another rally has been called by the Venezuelan embassy to coincide with the 13th anniversary of the defeated military coup against president Hugo Chavez. Demanding "No more coups, stop foreign intervention, respect Venezuela's revolution", the rally will be held outside Sydney Town Hall at 12 noon on April 11.

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