There was a powerful 2,000-strong demonstration in support of Venezuela in Whitehall opposite Downing Street on Monday night.
The protest was organised by the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and CND.
Carrying Venezuelan, Cuban and Palestinian flags, the crowd chanted slogans like ‘Hands off Venezuela’, ‘Donald Trump Here Us Say, You Must Release Maduro’, ‘From Caracas to Palestine Occupation is a Crime’ and ‘No Blood for Oil’.
Pat Reynolds from the London Irish Brigades who was at the demonstration told News Line: ‘Trump is completely out of order.
‘He is a state terrorist. This is US imperialism in action.
‘They want to attack Iran and they were behind the genocide in Gaza.
‘With Iran it is serious, they are trying to topple a government.
‘They want every government in South America to be in support of their policies.
‘They are trying to stick their oar in, against the Bolivian people, Argentina, Ecuador.
‘The US imperialists have always sought regime change ever since the Cuban Revolution and they have interfered in Grenada and Haiti in the Caribbean and in Nicaragua.
‘In the US there have been big demonstrations in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York against the bombing of Venezuela and the seizure of the country’s democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro.
‘There have been protests in Europe as well as in Belgium and Dublin and others all around the world – like here in London.
‘US President Donald Trump is going to come undone, this is unacceptable and is being opposed by millions of people.
‘The British government have shown that they Kow tow to the US and are weak and that is why they do not oppose them.’
Jenny Andrews, speaking to the News Line said: ‘We don’t want another Iraq. That was an illegal war even by capitalist standards.
‘They killed over a million Iraqi civilians, innocent men, women and children because Saddam Hussein was refusing to do deals with the US and British oil companies.
‘The US is trying to win the prize of the oil, that is how they look at it in such a mercenary way.
‘What Trump and the US military has done is a war crime in Venezuela.
‘To bomb Venezuela from the sea, from their ship Iwajima.
‘Trump thinks that he can just walk in anywhere that opposes imperialist interests. He can’t do just what he likes.
‘We are showing that we are supporting the Venezuelan people.’
Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour Party leader and MP for Islington North, told the rally: ‘It is very important for us to show our solidarity with the people of Venezuela.
‘Over the Christmas I read a security briefing from the US government.
‘It says that the US has the right to go in wherever it wants and to grab the country’s raw materials and use them. This is called the Monroe Doctrine.
‘A few days later, Trump sent in US naval vessels and bombed Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro.
‘I have seen people demonstrating against the attack all over the world, we should be proud to be here tonight.
‘We will not allow Trump to have his way.
‘We must build a strong movement to stop these actions from taking place.’
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Union of Education (NEU) said: ‘Our children have returned to school after the Christmas holiday.
‘This weekend what do they see? A powerful man in a big country organising a hostile assault on a poorer country economically.
‘Trump has made it clear, not only does he want to seize Venezuela’s oil but to run Venezuela.
‘These actions are a war crime. The Trump administration has attacked seven countries in the last few months. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia and now Venezuela.
‘We need to show that Trump cannot get away with these actions, it is completely unacceptable.
‘We want a decent future for our children, for all children.
‘A world that they can live in peace in and prosper.
‘We must build the movement to take society forward.’
John Finucane, the Sinn Fein MP for Belfast North, said: ‘This attack has serious and far-reaching repercussions for the primacy of the global rules-based order and the authority of the United Nations Charter. It must be condemned outright.
‘The attack on Venezuela comes at the same time as the US is trying to destroy Cuba economically.
‘They have attacked countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria and Nigeria.
‘At the same time as these attacks, the US opposes the arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
‘That just shows that they will do everything to promote their naked interests. This is all about oil and raw materials.
‘It does not surprise me that the British government is supporting Trump given our history in the north of Ireland.’
‘What the US is doing is being opposed by workers all over the world.’
Claudia Turbet-Delof, from the Bolivia Solidarity Campaign, said: ‘I have a message for Starmer and for Trump. We will never be slaves again.
‘We will not allow you to kill us.
‘We will never again be a colony. That is what we are showing in Bolivia with the general strike against the government, we have forced them back and are stopping the attacks on the indigenous people and the working class.
‘We, the people, will do the same in Venezuela this time supporting the government against US and British imperialism.
‘We will never again do what the imperialists want.
‘I used to be a member of the Labour Party in Hackney, but I have left the party and understand now that they cannot show the way forward.
‘I am not surprised that Starmer is in support of Trump over Venezuela given what else they are doing, including the attacks on the working class in Britain.
‘We will continue to fight and we will win. Continue to support the people of Venezuela.’
Louise Richards, from the Nicaragua Solidarity campaign, addressed the rally saying: ‘Nicaragua suffered decades of US aggression. So we stand with the people of Venezuela.
‘Daniel Ortega the Co-President of Nicaragua has condemned Trump.
‘The US has been putting pressure on my country to try and get rid of the government. They have spread lies and said that the government does not act in the interests of the people.
‘Yet, the Nicaraguan government have put in place policies that support the people especially the poorest people – the programme of the Sandinstas.
‘There have been massive sanctions on the country but we stand strong we do not want the US to run our country. The people of Venezuela support Maduro and Hugo Chavez who led the revolution to stop the US influence before him.
‘The US are attacking those that oppose them all over the world but they will not win.
‘They want the oil but they cannot have it.
‘We will stop them from stripping the raw materials of others, we are determined and together we will beat them.’
