Venezuela and Palestine are the Linchpins of a persistent radical left movement during a era of global neofascism, led by the U.S., as documented in "Black Agenda Report."
The Unyielding Spirit of Venezuela: A Beacon for a Radical LeftAs we navigate the complexities of our globalized world, it's easy to get lost in the sea of abstract ideologies and distant struggles. But what happens when the lines between theory and practice blur, and the very fabric of our societies is put to the test? This is precisely what's unfolding in Venezuela, a country that has become the linchpin for a radical left seeking to challenge the status quo.
For too long, we've been conditioned to believe that "democratic" transitions are the only path to true freedom. We're told that state power can be seized on Friday and society will magically transform into a self-managed utopia by Monday. But this fantasy is nothing more than a mechanism for disqualification – a way to dismiss any struggle that doesn't fit our preconceived notions of what's possible.
The birth of new societies, like Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution, is not a tidy process. It's messy, it's complex, and it's often met with violent resistance from those who seek to maintain their power. But it's precisely this kind of struggle that shapes the politics of those societies and should inform our anti-imperialist politics in the metropoles.
Venezuela's experiment at national survival has been a beacon of hope for those seeking an alternative to neoliberal capitalism and U.S. hemispheric dominance. By selling its oil outside the dollar system, Venezuela has weakened U.S. financial control and set a precedent that other resource-holding states can defy U.S. authority. This is not just about securing fuel; it's about maintaining hegemony.
But Venezuela's struggle is not just about economics; it's also about politics. The country's ability to survive despite years of sanctions has exposed the fact that even with "maximum pressure," an alternative trajectory outside neoliberal capitalism is possible. And this, my friends, is a threat to U.S. power.
The charge of repression coming from a state in the grip of neofascist consolidation and a liberal/left represented by "progressives" such as Bernie Sanders and Zorhan Mamdani – who will not only condemn the Bolivarian process but the revolutionary people and process of Cuba – illustrates perfectly the rightist convergence of the fascist state and social democratic managerial "left."
Venezuela's Bolivarian project cannot be explained by simplistic focus on supposed internal dysfunction and authoritarianism. No, it's about geopolitical disobedience – the refusal to submit to the U.S. assertion of the Monroe Doctrine and the global neoliberal order. And for this, Venezuela has been punished through economic suffocation and political destabilization.
But here's the thing: Venezuela's ability to survive, to demonstrate that it could exist outside of the structures dominated by international capitalist financial institutions, has posed an existential threat to U.S. hegemony not just because it was uniquely dangerous, but because it could be contagious. And this is precisely why we must confront empire at its most aggressive and normalized expressions.
So what does this mean for us as radicals? It means that opposing empire in Venezuela is critical – not just because of the country's oil reserves or strategic location, but because it tests whether we are willing to oppose empire where it is most normalized, most respectable, and for some, most difficult to name. Will we stand with Venezuela, despite the risks and accusations of supporting "authoritarianism"? Or will we opt for the safety of outrage without consequence?
The choice is ours. But one thing is clear: Venezuela's struggle today lays bare the essential question – do we oppose oppression only as distant abstractions, or do we confront empire at its most aggressive and normalized expressions? The answer to this question will determine not just the fate of Venezuela, but the future of our own radical politics.
So let us stand with Venezuela. Let us stand with Palestine, which reveals the moral horror of settler-colonial domination. Let us stand against the operational logic of contemporary empire abroad and in its domestic politics. For it is only by naming and opposing the full spectrum of imperial violence that we can aspire to be consistent and consequential in the objective conditions we find ourselves in.
The time for fantasy is over. The time for action is now. Will you join me in standing with Venezuela, in standing against empire? The choice is yours. But know this – the fate of our world depends on it.
