Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where we are raising money to fully fund my trip to Latin America. I already got a small travel grant to pay airfare and visa fees, and I am saving money by staying with my old host family for a part of the time.
$1,280 Raised to Cover Venezuelan Solidarity in Latin America
So far, we have raised $1,280 to cover my trip, during which I hope to provide additional coverage of how Latin American trade unionists are fighting back against Trump. (Read my full plan here for coverage.)
Colombian President Calls for International Worker Solidarity with Venezuela
In lengthy remarks posted earlier today on Twitter, Colombia’s left-wing President Gustavo Petro called for an international workers' movement to counter the illegal assault on Venezuela.
Petro spoke at length about the violent intimidation he faced as a leftist and trade unionist in Colombia.
“Tens of thousands of our comrades from the armed and popular struggle for democracy were assassinated, and we didn't go begging you for invasions; we endured and won through peace,” wrote Petro in a protest statement posted on Twitter.
Petro also praised American workers and called on them to rise up in solidarity with Latin Americans protesting the assault on Venezuela.
“I've never burned a U.S. flag because I've read the history of the popular and workers' struggles in the U.S. through Zinn's books in Spanish,” wrote Petro. “And that's why I honor the American working people, the Black and Indigenous people, the young soldiers who, alongside the Soviets, defeated Hitler.”
For more, check out Petro’s full statement.
Grand Rapids Woman Arrested While Giving an Interview about Venezuela
At a protest in heavy snow in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jessica Plichta, an activist who traveled to Venezuela in December as part of the People's Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty of Our America, was arrested while giving an interview to local TV station WZZM.
“I saw Maduro in person,” Plichta told WZZM. “People loved him. Maduro was elected by the people. He is for the people, and the people want to see his return. Free Maduro.”
Shortly afterwards, Plichta was arrested on camera while still giving the interview. When a bystander asked why Plitchta was arrested, the police responded that she was blocking a public roadway, even though the footage clearly showed her on the sidewalk.
Watch the incredible video on WZZM.
Washington Post Poll Finds Americans Oppose US "Running Venezuela"
While Americans, even some on the left, may differ on their views of Maduro, a new Washington Post poll shows that Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to the United States “running Venezuela,” as President Trump claimed the US would do in remarks on Saturday.
The poll found that 45% of Americans oppose the United States “running Venezuela,” while only 24% support the US “running Venezuela.”
For more on the poll, check out The Washington Post.
Most Unions Silent on Oil Connection, but Not UE
Finally, while union leaders have called out the US attack on Venezuela for violating international law, few have highlighted the direct connection between Trump’s clearly stated desire to allow American oil companies to take over Venezuela's oil.
For many unions representing workers in the oil industry, speaking out for their interests may be awkward. Neither the AFL-CIO nor the ITUC mentioned oil in their statements.
However, the United Electrical Workers was clear in calling out why the attack on Venezuela was occurring.
“These attacks are not about drugs, but are instead an attempt to bring about regime change and gain control over Venezuela’s oil,” said the UE in a statement issued today. “This has been made even clearer by President Trump’s explicit boast that the United States will occupy Venezuela to help the oil industry 'make a lot of money.’”
Read the full statement issued by the UE here.
Venezuela Journalists Union Calls for Release of Detained Reporters
For years, groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders have denounced Venezuela for jailing reporters on both the left and the right, whose coverage angers Maduro and his allies.
Today, the Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), the largest union of journalists in Venezuela, demanded the release of all journalists
“The SNTP demands the immediate release of the 23 journalists and media workers who remain unjustly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, as a direct consequence of their journalistic work or the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression,” the SNTP said in a statement released today. “The imprisonment of journalists constitutes a serious violation of press freedom and a practice aimed at intimidating, silencing, and generating self-censorship, to the detriment of society's right to be informed.”
This week, the union also denounced the detention of 14 reporters in Venezuela following Trump's crackdown. From the Guardian:
Twelve of those detained were later released, one of whom was deported. Two journalists remained in the custody of intelligence services, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) said in a post on X. Independent reporting inside Venezuela is severely restricted , and authorities have declined visas for foreign journalists to enter the country.
Five of the detained journalists had been covering the opening session of the National Assembly, where they were banned from recording, transmitting the event live, or taking photos.
Others were detained by military intelligence officers and taken to the National Guard command post in the Assembly building, according to the union. Their phones were confiscated and thoroughly searched, the union said, including contacts, conversations, voice notes, Instagram accounts, emails, and documents.
“This type of action not only threatens the privacy and the security of sources but also is a pattern of criminalisation of journalism,” the union said.
For more, check out the Guardian
With Foreign Press Restricted within Venezuela, Mostly Hot Takes & Not Workers' Voices Dominating Conversation
The Maduro Administration has also been very restrictive toward reporters, not allowing most foreign reporters unless they have a “minder” assigned by the Maduro Administration with them at all times, thereby preventing authentic on-the-ground reporting that presents complex views.
As a result, the voices of Venezuelan workers have been left out of most American media coverage, even on the left. In the wake of minimal independent reporting, we are mainly seeing “hot takes” and activists’ speculation about what may be happening on the ground, based on photos of large crowds rallying in support of Maduro.
However, seeing pictures of large crowds of Maduro activists is not the same as allowing workers to speak independently to the press about how they feel about what's happening in the country.
With the United States likely to hold Maduro for the foreseeable future, Venezuelans have a lot of complex choices about what is next for their democracy in the interim. These voices are essential to understand, but aren’t getting through. The voices of regular working Venezuelans need to be heard, and the interim Venezuelan government should immediately lift the restrictions on foreign reporters and independent press within the country.
In the interim, Payday Report is asking readers to forward us stories featuring working-class Venezuelans' perspectives to: melk@paydayreport.com
Send a Labor Reporter to Cover Latin Americans Fighting Back Against Trump
With Brazil bordering Venezuela, stories about what is happening there have regularly made their way into the Brazilian press. Lula and labor leaders in Brazil have very close relationships with leaders in neighboring Venezuela, enabling a freer flow of information between the two countries.
This is all the more reason why it's essential to have a labor reporter like myself in Venezuela's neighbor, Brazil. We have a lot of interesting projects planned in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America if we can afford it, but it's crucial we highlight the voices of Latin American workers fighting back against Trump.
Alright, folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
