International week of solidarity with Venezuela called
An international week of solidarity with Venezuela has been called from Feb 29 – March 7th in protest at the largest oil company in the world, ExxonMobil’s, legal actions – freezing up to $12 billion of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA’s assets- pending arbitration in a dispute over an oil exploration project nationalised by the Venezuelan government last year.
The theme of the week is: “US/Exxon – Hands off Venezuela – STOP ExxonMobil’s THEFT FROM THE POOR” and has so far been endorsed by the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network, Venezuela Solidarity Network (USA), Venezuela Aotearoa Solidarity Network (New Zealand).
The demands of the protest include;
* Support the Venezuelan government’s efforts to defend and extend the Venezuelan people’s common ownership and control over Venezuela’s natural resources, and defend the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s right to assert its social, political and economic sovereignty.
* Condemn ExxonMobil’s economic blackmail against Venezuela and call for it to immediately withdraw its legal campaign against PDVSA.
* Reject as illegitimate and immoral the British, US and Dutch courts’ order to freeze PDVSA’s assets. Only Venezuela, through its own courts and in accordance with its own Constitution, has the right to decide the ownership and control of the resources in its territory. So-called “international arbitration” on Venezuela’s resources via courts in the First World countries is colonialism.
* Stand in solidarity with the protest actions of Venezuela’s people, trade unions and social organisations against ExxonMobil and the US government’s economic and political thuggery, and commend the words of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “They will never rob us again, those bandits of ExxonMobil”.
To add your organisation or name to the call email [email protected]
To sign a statement of protest visit http://venezuelasolidarity.org/?q=node/2397