Sanctions, also known as unilateral coercive measures, should primarily be understood as a tool of neocolonialism. Unilateral Coercive Measures are aimed at inflicting collective punishment on a sovereign state. In the case of Venezuela, they are driven by an effort to secure access to the country’s vast oil wealth, to once again bring Venezuela under the heel of US dominance in the region. Washington wants to also punish the Bolivarian Revolution for not bowing to its hegemony. 

On today’s program we’re looking at the efforts to resist the US neocolonial practice of sanctions. What is the Maduro government doing in the face of this challenge? Can we say there’s an economic recovery in Venezuela despite the imposition of unilateral coercive measures? And how are solidarity activists inside the belly of the beast organizing to end US sanctions?

To talk about the impact of unilateral coercive measures on Venezuela and efforts by activists in the US to resist sanctions policy, we will speak with Michelle Ellner, a Latin America campaign coordinator at CODEPINK. We also chat with Venezuela Analysis’ Ricardo Vaz about the state of Venezuela's economy today and what the Venezuelan government can do to address inequality in the country.

Music:

Embandolaos - Los Caimanes Negros

Efren Clavo - La Caída del Imperio