Articles In Jordanian, Palestinian Authority Press: America's Moves Vis-à-vis Venezuela Are Barbaric Imperialism

U.S. President Donald Trump's official recognition of Venezuelan National Assembly President and opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's president, in place of Nicolas Maduro, evoked harsh criticism in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (PA), from both officials and columnists. Jordan issued no official response to the events in Venezuela, but one of its MPs called on the parliament to issue a statement of support for Maduro, saying that he merits this because of his support for the Palestinian cause. A columnist in Jordan's Al-Dustour daily harshly attacked the U.S. for the "injustices" it has committed throughout history, and called it an enemy of the peoples who was and will be the embodiment of barbaric imperialism. A columnist for the government daily Al-Rai wrote that the U.S., the head of global imperialism, constantly plots coups and assassinations like the "coup" that is currently taking place in Venezuela.

As for the PA, whereas its Foreign Ministry expressed only veiled criticism of the U.S., Fatah Executive Committee member Ahmad Majdalani slammed the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, calling this part of Trump's policy that seeks to impose agendas on the world and denies the will of the peoples, usurps their resources and deprives them of freedom. A columnist in the PA mouthpiece wrote that the U.S. was behind the events in Venezuela and called to support Maduro.

The following are excerpts from statements by Jordanian and PA officials and columnists on this topic.  

Al-Dustour Columnist: The U.S. Is The Enemy Of The Peoples, The Embodiment Of Barbaric Imperialism

In his January 27 column in the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, Rashid Hassan, who frequently writes critically of the U.S. and Israel,[1] attacked the U.S., enumerating what he called the atrocities it has perpetrated throughout history. He also claimed that its hostility towards Venezuela is due to the latter's support of the Palestinian people and its opposition to the American hegemony and barbarity. He wrote: "The U.S. has clarified to all its short-sighted, corrupt, feeble and always cowardly [supporters] that it will never change. It will never change but rather stay as it is: an invader, a Pirate Morgan[2] and an enemy of the peoples. [It will remain the same] U.S. that exterminated more than 30 million Indians and killed three million Vietnamese, one million Iraqis and three million Afghans; the U.S. that was the first in history to use atomic bombs, to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the U.S. which embraces the fascist Zionism, which the U.N. has condemned as a racist fascist movement; the U.S. which does not want the Palestinian people to realize its right to self-determination and an independent state, and insists on leaving [them] dispersed throughout the world or else as slaves in Netanyahu's empire; and the U.S. that recognizes occupied Arab Jerusalem as the capital of the Zionist entity, in flagrant violation of international law.

"This U.S., which was and will continue to be the embodiment of barbaric imperialism is now bluntly interfering in Venezuela. It has ordered one of its puppets, the president of the National Assembly [Juan Guaidó], to declare himself president of Venezuela and immediately recognized him as such. [Then] it ordered those who do its bidding around the world to recognize him as president [as well] instead of the legitimate president, [Nicolás] Maduro, who was democratically elected. History has not changed and is now repeating itself in a tragic manner, or shall we say in a fascistic and blood-soaked manner, heralding the outbreak of a civil war in Venezuela that may spread to the other countries of the continent, reignite the Cold War and reach other parts of the world as well. It cannot be ruled out that the flames will also spread to the Middle East; in fact, this is the most likely [scenario]. [But] losing the war in Syria, Iraq and earlier Afghanistan, the U.S. will surely lose [again] if it dares to ignite new battles in this region, which is already burning...

"The American-Zionist hostility towards the Venezuela of [Hugo] Chavez and [Nicolas] Maduro is due to [Venezuela's] rejection of America's hegemony and bullying, its courageous stance in support of the Palestinian people's struggle and its right to establish an independent state and return from exile to its homeland, and [Venezuela's] condemnation of the ongoing Zionist aggression and the war of ethnic cleansing that the Zionist gangs are waging against the Palestinian people...

"America's and Trump's aggression against Venezuela is a direct [extension] of [America's] aggression against Cuba, Chile and Nicaragua and of its strategy that opposes these countries sheltering under the principles of [Chavez's] Bolivarian Revolution, which opposes America's bullying and control of the countries of Latin America and their transformation into banana republics. This aggression is sure to fail, sooner or later. Victory to the freedom-lovers in Venezuela and the world and defeat to the barbaric imperialism."[3]

Al-Rai Columnist: The U.S., The Head Of Global Imperialism, Has Never Stopped Planning Coups And Assassinations

Muhammad Kharoub, a columnist for the Jordanian daily Al-Rai, wrote on January 27 that the U.S., which is "the head of global imperialism," has always planned coups and assassinations throughout the world, like the current coup in Venezuela. He wrote: "Every time some country in the world is about to enter a state of instability, schism and internal strife that can bring it to the verge of civil war or expose it to a military attack that can topple its [regime] and deprive it of legitimacy, we must wonder what role the U.S. played [in this]. Ever since it gained prominence on the international stage, and especially since the end of World War II and its declaration of the cruel and aggressive Cold War against the socialist camp... the U.S. has never stopped planning coups and assassinations, bringing military juntas [into power] and supporting corrupt political elites and party leaders. In particular, it has blocked all attempts to pass democratic constitutions and organize free elections that allow peoples to choose their own leaders, regimes and [the kind of] economic development they want.

"The experiences and events of [the second] half of the 20^th century proved that Washington – the head of global imperialism and leader of the so-called 'free world' – employed the cruelest and most racist and self-serving aggression in the service of the capitalists and [to promote] the interests of the weapons and oil industry and the universities who [all] control the decision making in the U.S., in Europe and in Japan – the cruel and evil capitalist triangle that steals the resources of the peoples and controls them.

"Focusing on the actions of the leader of the 'free world' against the countries and leaders of Latin America exposes the crimes committed by this 'superpower', which speaks loftily about defending the values of freedom, democracy, free elections and other whitewashed slogans, that have come to be condemned by most of the peoples of the world, especially the peoples of our Arab nation and the peoples of Latin America and Africa...

"Venezuela... is the current affair and the 'new' focus of world attention, after Trump planned a coup – so far an unsuccessful one – against the elected and legitimate president Maduro, so as to complete the swing towards the right, especially towards the populist and fascist right, which the U.S. has managed to bring to power using bullying and intimidation [tactics]. It won the biggest prize, Brazil, when the racist, populist, evangelical pro-Zionist [Jair] Bolsonaro came to power and became the spearhead of American imperialism in the South American continent. His army may lead the American military invasion of Venezuela if and when the U.S. decides to do this...     

"[But] the U.S. does not have  a chance of 'winning' Venezuela, even if it invades it militarily or supports an invasion by the neighboring South American countries, headed by Brazil, Columbia, Chile and Ecuador, which are ruled by the fascist pro-American right... The U.S. will lead Venezuela into a destructive civil war by insisting on supporting the fascist Venezuelan right."[4] 

Jordanian MP: Maduro Deserves Every Support In The Face Of The Conspiracies Of Global Imperialism

In a January 30 statement to the Russian news agency Sputnik, Jordanian MP Khalil Attiya addressed the events in Venezuela, saying: "We must lend all the support [we can] to the elected president of Venezuela, Maduro, considering his positions on Arab issues, especially the Palestinian issue. He deserves every support we can give him in order to end all the conspiracies of global imperialism [against him]. The American position on Venezuela is not the first move [it has taken] against the peoples, their liberty and their devoted leaders. We have not forgotten what it did to the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, nor its intervention in the Arabs' affairs and its notorious support of the Israelis. I believe President Maduro is paying the price of his honorable patriotic and just position vis-à-vis the Palestinian people. The Jordanian parliament should issue a statement of support for Maduro."[5] 

The PA: America's Intervention In Venezuela Reflects Trump's Policy Of Subverting The Will Of The Peoples

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing concern about the events in Venezuela and condemning "the direct intervention of certain countries in the internal affairs of Venezuela, [carried out] by supporting the attempted coup against the legitimately elected president, Maduro."[6] PLO Executive Committee member Ahmad Majdalani attacked what he called "America's blunt interference in the affairs of [other] countries, such as Venezuela... [which is] part of the Trump administration's policy that seeks to deny the will of the peoples." He added: "The principle of respecting [other] countries' sovereignty and of non-intervention in their internal affairs is an agreed-upon [principle] of democratic diplomacy, and the attempted coup against the legitimately elected president, Nicolas Maduro, is deplorable. While the entire world is calling for freedom and democracy, the Trump administration conducts itself with political arrogance. We are the ones who suffer the most from the policy of the Trump administration, [led by a man] who has proved to the entire world that he does not respect human rights or democracy, but rather behaves like the policeman of the world, trying to impose agendas, usurp the peoples' resources and deny them freedom." Majdalani stressed his "complete solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and with President Maduro, out of respect for international law and the U.N. Charter," and hoped Venezuela would enjoy "prosperity and progress in a non-violent atmosphere" and "withstand the American pressures."[7]

After Trump advisor Jason Greenblatt criticized the Palestinian leadership for its support of Maduro, advising it to focus on a better future for the Palestinians,[8] Mounir Al-Jaghoub, spokesman of Fatah's Recruitment and Organization Commission, responded on Fatah's official Facebook page, writing: "We are opposed in principle to foreign intervention in the affairs of countries... We have not forgotten the chaos, destruction and fighting that occurred in many Arab lands due to the policy of countries in the region and in the West under the heading of the 'Arab Spring'... When we declare that we support the legal and legitimate [regime] in Venezuela, we are not intervening in its affairs or sending soldiers or war machines [there] to help one side against the other, as is done by some countries that claim to respect the will of the peoples and the principles of democracy..."[9]

It is noteworthy that the PA has good relations with Maduro's regime. In May 2018 PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Venezuela and met Maduro, who expressed support for Abbas' political positions. On January 12, 2019, the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki participated in Maduro's swearing-in ceremony and congratulated him on behalf of Abbas and the Palestinian leadership who "always stand by Venezuela and its people, since Palestine never forgets its friends." 

    
Maduro receiving Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas during the latter's visit to Venezuela in May 2018 (image: Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, PA, May 8, 2018)

Columnist In PA Daily: U.S. Is Directly Behind The Events In Venezuela

In a January 26, 2019, column in the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 'Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul accused the U.S. of being behind the events in Venezuela and of violating international law: "From a historical perspective and as part of its norms and perceptions, the U.S. regards Venezuela, like the other countries of Latin America, as part of its back yard. Since the 18^th century, when the U.S. became independent and embraced the option of colonialist expansion, it has seen the banana republics of Latin America as its theater [of operations] in the Western hemisphere. During World War II, the U.S. prepared its expansionist plan so that its colonialism would encompass all the continents of the world. After its global standing began to decline at the end of the first decade of the third millennium, and after it was defeated on more than one front – although it is still the world's greatest military force – the U.S. resumed handling its affairs in the Arab part of the world in order to preserve its prestige in the eyes of its allies, its people, its institutions and the tycoons of the world...

"The U.S. is directly behind the dramatic events in Venezuela, and is thereby violating international law, the U.N. Charter and the sovereignty and independence of the UN member states. The defeated U.S. is seeking new prey in order to compensate for its defeats around the world, and especially in the greater Middle East, southeast Asia, Ukraine and even Europe. This obligates all those who love peace and [respect] the will of the peoples to support Maduro, the legitimate president, with all their might, and to support the free and proud Venezuela, in order to give the supporters of terrorism in America and the world what they deserve."[10]