Any US citizen, in full exercise of their mental powers, who tries to explain the foreign policy of the government of its country, will eventually lose that status in no time.

It would appear that not even the think tanks in charge of molding the thinking of citizens according to the interests of the various economic groups which finance them– are having an easy task making their studies and recommendations seem rational.

Barely out of the embarrassing situation of justifying the lifting of the "sanctions" imposed by the United States on an independent country such as Cuba –s ince they had no legal authority to impose those sanctions – Washington decided to "punish" Venezuela, another country as sovereign as the Caribbean island. Here, Washington had no legal right either, except for “the law of the strongest”.

On March 9th, President Obama issued a decree declaring a "national emergency because Venezuela represents an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

The executive order also imposed unilateral sanctions on a group of Venezuelan officials who were accused by the White House of "subverting democratic processes or institutions"; "violence or abuse of human rights in their country"; "undermining freedom of expression"; or "public corruption". According to the norms of international law, all these accusations – regardless of any alleged grounds for their claim – constitute unacceptable interferences in the internal affairs of Venezuela.

Obviously, the US presidential action was intended to complement the failed coup attempt, in February 2015, against the democratically-elected government in Venezuela; a would-be coup organized and financed by the United States. But this occurred shortly after President Obama announced "a new policy toward the region"; a promise absolutely contradicted by the new pronouncement.

Latin America reacted, as expected, in support of one of the member countries in the forefront of this regional community of nations which increasingly strengthens its identity.

The actions of the Obama administration against Venezuela were seen as an arrogant attempt to revive the traditional discredited US policy of interference, intimidation and submission in Latin America.

Some time ago, in a comparable situation, many governments in the region –docile to imperial threats– bent to US pressure even before it was formulated and, in other cases, made corrupt opportunistic compensation demands for their servility.

However, after the triumph of the Cuban revolution and over half a century of struggles and sacrifices of the peoples in the region, Latin American nations are now moving along a complex and difficult process – but glorious, and clear – to consolidate their independence and sovereignty, relying on the unity and solidarity of the peoples of the region.

Times have changed for peoples of Latin America, and only by exception do we hear of any isolated servile gesture by some Latin American or Caribbean official who, frightened or unworthy, acts differently.

Venezuela has received the unanimous support of more than 160 countries. International organizations such as the Commonwealth of Independent Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the ALBA-TCP, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, and the Group of 77 + China expressed their support for and solidarity with Venezuela and asked President Barack Obama to repeal the illegal and illegitimate decree.

On every continent, an unprecedented mobilization of peoples in marches, rallies, concerts and gatherings to collect signatures in support of the "Venezuela is not a threat but a hope" campaign demanded the immediate repeal of the US decree.

The April 2015 Panama summit showed how much Latin America and the Caribbean has moved towards strengthening its common identity.

The Caribbean governments had already given a clear evidence of the seriousness with which these governments have been contributing to the strength of the new situation. Having been summoned by US Vice President Joe Biden, who offered resources in exchange for their disassociation from Caracas and their breaking links with Petrocaribe, rejected the corrupting offer and – in block – stood in solidarity with Venezuela and condemned Obama’s nefarious executive order. This has remained as a failed attempt in the long list of US interventionist actions against Latin America and the Caribbean.

April 23, 2015.

- Manuel E. Yepe http://englishmanuelyepe.wordpress.com/

A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann. http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs4344.html