Originally published on The Morning Call on May 9, 2019
From a meeting of the Americas Solidarity Group of LEPOCO (the Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern), we want to share our deep concern about developments in Venezuela — especially our country’s role in these developments.
We support the 69 members of Congress who have co-sponsored HR-1004 introduced by Rep. David Cicilline, that would prohibit unauthorized U.S. military action in Venezuela. The co-sponsors include four Congress members from Pennsylvania, representatives Matt Cartwright, Michael Doyle, Dwight Evans and Susan Wild.
We support the work to find a negotiated solution to the crisis in Venezuela including the initiatives by Uruguay, Mexico and Bolivia, and the work of the Citizen Platform in Defense of the Constitution, part of the critical left in Venezuela, calling for negotiations while being critical of the Maduro government. The Citizen Platform opposes a violent transition — that would likely lead to a civil war in Venezuela.
The history of U.S. intervention in our hemisphere and our ongoing wars around the world make the statements by national security adviser John Bolton regarding Venezuela very troubling indeed.
Why doesn’t our country find a way to engage with the world that doesn’t involve violence?
Concilia Karli
Bob Riggs
Nancy Tate
The writers are members of LEPOCO.