MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fidel: great victory for Chavez; the ‘empire’ is after Venezuela’s oil

The Cuban leader argues the Bolivarian revolution has the Army, a majority in parliament and millions in the streets

The leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro described last Sunday’s legislative elections in Venezuela as a clear victory for the Bolivarian Revolution and its leader, Hugo Chavez.

In his regular column: ‘Reflections by Fidel: What they want is Venezuela’s oil’ the Cuban leader argues that the United States and its allies will not be able to sponsor a coup in Venezuela as happened with Salvador Allende in Chile (1973) since the Venezuelan armed forces have been educated with the spirit and example of Liberator Simon Bolivar, and are an invincible part of the Bolivarian revolution.

Fidel points out that although the Bolivarian government lost the two-thirds majority of the National Assembly, the Executive branch remains with a wide majority support and a party capable of mobilizing millions of people to fight for socialism.

Follows a translated version of the column:

Yesterday, I wrote about what I would do if I were Venezuelan. I explained that it is the poor people who suffer the most from natural catastrophes and I gave the reasons why. Later I added: “…where imperialism rules and the opportunistic oligarchy receive the greater portion of the national goods and services, the masses have nothing to gain or lose. The empire doesn’t give a damn about the elections…in the United States, even during presidential elections, less than 50% of registered voters turn out to vote.“

Today I would add that, even when they are voting for the entire House of Representatives, a part of the Senate (next November) and other important positions, voter turnout in the U.S. is no greater.

I asked, why then do they employ their enormous media resources to try to drown the Revolutionary Bolivarian Government of Venezuela in a sea of lies and slander? What they really want is Venezuela’s oil.

We’ve all seen during these elections, a group of bastards who, together with the mercenaries from the local print, radio and television press, have gone so far as to attempt to eliminate freedom of the press in Venezuela.

The enemy did achieve part of its objective: to stop the Bolivarian Government from obtaining a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Perhaps the empire believes it has achieved a great victory.

I believe the exact opposite: the September 26 election results represent a victory for the Bolivarian Revolution and its leader Hugo Chavez Frias.

During these parliamentary elections the participation of the electorate rose to a record 66.45%. The empire, with its vast resources, was unable to hold back the PSUV, which won 95 of the 165 seats, with 6 still undecided. The most important result is the increased number of young people, women and other proven militants who were elected.

Today, the Bolivarian Revolution has the Executive Power, a large majority in the parliament and a party capable of mobilizing millions of combatants in favour of socialism.

The United States only has the support of fragments of parties in Venezuela, united out of their fear of the revolution and out of material greed.

This time they could not resort to a coup d’êtat in Venezuela as they did with Allende in Chile and in other counties in Our America.

The armed forces of this fraternal country both promote and are a part of the Revolution. They are educated in the spirit and example of the Liberator, and it was their ranks that nurtured the current leaders who began this process.

Such a union of forces is invincible; a fact that becomes much clearer with half a century of experience.

Fidel Castro Ruiz

September 27, 2010