Rep. Ilhan Omar chewed up Trump’s war czar Eliott Abrams about his past murderous policies in El Salvador then spit him out in Congressional hearing. Now he’s in charge of Trump’s regime-change mission in Venezuela. Photo: Lorie Shaull–Flickr
[Op-Ed]
Statement by the December 12th Movement.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has been conspicuously silent on Trump’s intervention in Venezuela, a sovereign country which has had democratic elections and which, also, has provided benefits such as subsidized heating oil, to Black communities around the U.S. Trump and his people have made it clear that the U.S. involvement in Venezuela is about controlling the oil and destroying socialism and that they intend to effect regime change by any means necessary.
The CBC was birthed out of the Civil Rights and Black Power struggles of the 1960s as a body to speak for and on behalf of Black people. Over its 48 year history it has taken correct stands against white supremacy, Apartheid South Africa, voter suppression and police brutality.
The current CBC however has sunken so low that it is co-signing a coup d’etat rather than denouncing the Trump actions in Venezuela as a violation of “democracy”, international law and the United Nations Charter. Unfortunately this CBC retreat from its progressive origins is not a surprise. Its 2018 support of the Congressional Amendment to increase the sanctions against Zimbabwe had already indicated the CBC’s willingness to support the Trump policy of regime-change in a country which represents no threat to the U.S. Trump is punishing Zimbabwe for having the audacity to take back the lands stolen by White settler-colonizers and returning them to the indigenous population.
Over 60 years ago W.E.B. DuBois stated that “I believe that democracy has so far disappeared in the United States that no two evils exist. There is but one evil party with two names.” The CBC position on Venezuela and Zimbabwe illustrates the continuing truth of Dubois’s observation. If it is not going to stand for Black folks’ interests, it has no reason to exist.
It is not too late for the CBC to return to its roots and actively and vocally oppose Trump’s plans for regime change in Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Black people and the times demand it.
www.D12M.com
