BAYAN Panay condemns U.S. attacks on Venezuela

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Panay on Sunday, Jan. 4, condemned what it described as “bombardment and attacks” by the United States against Venezuela.

In a statement, the group alleged the attacks occurred in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Saturday, Jan. 3, Caracas time, and involved the taking of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

BAYAN Panay said the alleged actions, combined with years of economic sanctions and political interference, “amount to a grave violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and a direct assault on the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination.”

The group also criticized what it called the “hypocrisy” of Western governments and U.S. allies, saying they were quick to condemn Russia’s military action against Ukraine but were muted when the United States allegedly acted against Venezuela.

“The double standards are mind-boggling,” the statement said.

BAYAN Panay further alleged that U.S. actions toward Venezuela were part of a long-standing campaign for regime change through sanctions, covert operations and military attacks aimed at controlling the country’s oil resources.

The group cited statements by U.S. President Donald Trump as framing hostility toward Venezuela around oil interests.

BAYAN Panay said unilateral sanctions had “deliberately plunged Venezuela into an economic and humanitarian crisis” by blocking access to financial systems, fuel, food and medicines.

It described the sanctions as “weapons of collective punishment” that violate international law, including the United Nations Charter.

“The United States has no right to bomb, threaten, sanction, or coerce Venezuela,” the group said, adding that such actions “expose the true character of U.S. imperialism.”

The statement linked developments in Venezuela to what it described as broader U.S. actions worldwide, including support for Israel in its actions against the Palestinian people and military interventions across the Middle East.

It also cited what it described as U.S. military intervention and counterinsurgency support in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, BAYAN Panay said U.S. intervention has resulted in increased militarization, attacks against activists and environmental defenders, and intensified repression of indigenous peoples and communities opposing land-grabbing and foreign-driven development projects.

BAYAN Panay said it stands “in full solidarity with the Venezuelan people” and affirmed their right to determine their own political, economic and social path without external coercion.

The group called for an immediate halt to what it described as U.S. military aggression against Venezuela, the lifting of all U.S. sanctions, and an end to U.S. intervention and regime-change operations in Latin America and other regions.

“Venezuela’s sovereignty is non-negotiable,” the statement said, adding that “its people alone have the right to decide their future.”