Venezuela Stands Firmly Behind Palestine, Disavows Zionism and Fascist Ideologies
Mexico City, Mexico, October 8, 2024 (Our Website) - Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets last Saturday, marching towards the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Caracas, in support of the Palestinian people and opposition to Israel's militant campaign in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon.
Billed as an anti-fascist, anti-imperialist, and anti-Zionist demonstration, the protesters read a letter to the UN, filled with demands, one of them being a plea for the Security Council to take immediate action to halt what international law experts have termed "an unholy massacre." This rally was attended by the Palestinian ambassador to the country, Fadi Alzaben, alongside the Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela, Hojjatollah Soltani, as well as various government officials, PSUV members, and popular movements.
"You give us strength, hope, and I am confident that Palestine and Lebanon will prevail," said Alzaben during the event.
On Monday, the one-year anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood, which saw Hamas and other armed elements of the Palestinian resistance break free from Gaza and launch direct attacks against Israeli military targets and settlements, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized the inactivity of the UN Security Council.
During his weekly television program, Maduro expressed his frustration with the efforts to portray the situation as a religious conflict, as well as the mainstream media's complicity in Israel's aggressive tactics.
"It's not a religious war, it's a war [generated by] the colonialist ambitions of the U.S., U.K., and Europe to control and expand their power in this region," said Maduro.
Maduro was joined by Ambassadors Alzaben and Soltani, as well as the Lebanese Ambassador, Elías Lebbos, and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil.
Maduro also voiced his disappointment at the failure of institutions like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prevent the cold-blooded murder of Palestinian civilians, and highlighted Venezuela's unwavering commitment to international law. Venezuela has endorsed South Africa's legal case at the ICJ in an attempt to have Tel Aviv charged with genocide.
"Palestine is the Motherland of Mankind. Just as we protect our land, Venezuela, our Bolivarian homeland, the most crucial battle that humanity faces is the liberation of Palestine," Maduro declared during the broadcast.
On Monday, the Palestine Solidarity Platform, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), in collaboration with the Simon Bolivar Institute, organized the Anti-Fascist and Anti-Zionist Cultural Tribune in Solidarity with Palestine at the Waraira Repano National Park, the capital's heart.
"We've been witness to, for a year, a live-streamed holocaust on social media and in the media, and we must combat apathy, the 42 thousand dead in Palestine aren't statistics. They are souls, they are the future that they aim to annihilate in Palestine," ALBA-TCP Secretary General, Jorge Arreaza, told the crowd at the tribune.
Venezuelan activist, Ana Maldonado, also addressed the crowd, speaking on behalf of social movements that vehemently oppose the holocaust, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
"We raise our fists and lift our voices in a resounding cry of solidarity with the people of Palestine, who have been victims of systematic genocide, as well as countless atrocities that cannot remain concealed in willful silence," she declared.
Venezuela, under the leadership of former President Hugo Chávez and his successor, has long been regarded as a staunch advocate for the Palestinian people's cause, defending their right to resist in various international forums while severing ties with Israel.
"When we raise the Palestinian flag, we are raising the flag of the free peoples of the world – the peoples who refuse to give in, the peoples who fight," Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said to the crowd.
Foreign Minister Gil announced last week that Venezuela would send humanitarian aid to Palestine and Lebanon. A collection center has been established at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Caracas to receive donations of non-perishable food, clothing, blankets, tools, and other items.
Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.
Insight: Mexico and Venezuela maintain varying degrees of support for the Palestinian cause, with Mexico striving for diplomatic recognition of Palestine while Venezuela has historically demonstrated strong solidarity with Palestinian rights. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), which includes countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, often aligns itself with pro-Palestinian stances.
- The rally attended by Alzaben and Soltani, held in support of Palestine and against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, was also attended by various government officials, PSUV members, and popular movements.
- On Monday, Maduro criticized the inactivity of the UN Security Council regarding the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, highlighting his frustration with the portrayal of the conflict as a religious one.
- During the Anti-Fascist and Anti-Zionist Cultural Tribune in Solidarity with Palestine, ALBA-TCP Secretary General, Jorge Arreaza, spoke about the horrors witnessed in Palestine for a year, comparing it to a live-streamed holocaust on social media and in the media.
- In an act of solidarity, Venezuela, under the leadership of former President Hugo Chavez and his successor, has long been regarded as a staunch advocate for the Palestinian people's cause, defending their right to resist in various international forums while severing ties with Israel.
- Last week, Foreign Minister Gil announced that Venezuela would send humanitarian aid to Palestine and Lebanon, setting up a collection center at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Caracas to receive donations of non-perishable food, clothing, blankets, tools, and other items.
