A Note from Roger
by Roger Waters
February 6, 2019
One of the responses I got to “US hands-off Venezuela” was from an old friend, a Venezuelan expat musician
Lets call him X.
My Dear X.
After tweeting “US hands-off Venezuela” a couple of days ago I got the usual hail of flak from every one who speaks for the Venezuelan people, most of them are white, middle class, and live in New York City.
You, my dear friend, in remonstrating with me, and hoping to instruct me, drew my attention to an open letter written by a young lady called Adriana Kohlhofer and addressed to, “US Democratic Socialists” and marked, for the attention of, Senator Sanders, Congresswoman Cortez, Congresswoman Omar, Congresswoman Khanna and the entire Democratic Socialist wing of the Democratic Party.
You implored me to read it. So I did, and so others will know what we’re talking about, here is a link to the letter:
https://medium.com/@akohlhofer18/an-open-letter-to-us-democratic-socialists-from-venezuelan-expatriates-9a3e26eb834d
So, I read it, and it is what it is, a passionate polemic in support of US sanctions and other kinds of intervention in Venezuela hopefully leading to regime change. Regime change to facilitate the adoption of neoliberal economic policies including the return of the Venezuelan oil industry to private hands.
It’s an old, old story, that we’ve all heard before.
My personal view is that the oil revenue should continue, as much as possible, to benefit the people of Venezuela through the nationalized industry created by Hugo Chavez, hero of the revolution, indigenous son of his and your country and sorely missed by his people.
Where was I?
Oh yes, having read the letter from Adriana Kohlhofer, I thought to myself, who is this Adriana Kohlhofer, who purports to speak for the people of Venezuela, so I googled her. You have to laugh:
Adriana Kohlhofer - Private Wealth
Management Analyst @ Goldman Sachs
Ok Adriana Kohlhofer, spokesperson for the people of Venezuela here’s something actually from the people of Venezuela….. below are the results of a study conducted between the 7th and 20th of January 2019, by Hinterlaces a well known and respected Venezuelan polling company led by the independent pollster Oscar Schemel, as reported by the program Jose Vincente HOY. These answers from Venezuelans living in Venezuela.
When asked, do you agree or disagree with the US economic and financial sanctions that are currently applied against Venezuela to remove President Maduro from power?
81% of Venezuelans polled replied “I disagree”
When asked would you agree or disagree if there were international intervention in Venezuela to remove President Maduro from power?
78% of Venezuelans polled replied “I would disagree”
When asked would you agree or disagree if there were international military intervention in Venezuela to remove President Maduro from power?
86% of Venezuelans polled replied “I would disagree”
In general do you agree or disagree with a dialogue being held between the national government and the opposition to resolve the current economic problems in the country?
84% of Venezuelans polled replied “I agree”
Well, Adriana, as you see these results show that what the majority of actual Venezuelan people, who actually live in Venezuela, believe to be the real narrative, is not the same as the narrative being sold by you, Ms.‘wealth management analyst@goldmansachs’ or Donald Trump, or Mike Pompeo, or Isaac Abrams, or John Bolton or the submissive MSM in the USA or the USG’s equally submissive acolytes in Canada and Australia and NATO and the EU and all the right wing US dominated dictatorships and quasi democracies in Latin and South America.
The results of the poll represent a cri-de-coeur, from a beleaguered people.
I have no more right to put words into their mouths than you do, but my guess is that their narrative is more like this,
“Please, people of the US, persuade your President and his government to lift the deadly and draconian sanctions you have imposed on us, please lift the blockade on our lives, and give us the time and space to find our own way on the road to fulfill the Venezuelan dream of an equitable and stable socialist society.
“We are a proud and resourceful people, we have come a long way since Hugo Chavez reintroduced us to Simon Bolivar’s revolutionary road in 1998. Your divisive intervention is pushing our nation to the brink of civil war.
“We don’t want to be the next Libya or Iraq or Syria, please stop feeding the jackals in our midst, please stop hovering like vultures above our oil fields. Please go away.”
So my musician friend, I love you my brother, but Ms. ‘wealth management analyst @ goldmansachs’ is just that, she ain’t no oracle that’s for sure, why we didn’t lock all those fuckers up after 2008 I’ll never know, but for pity’s sake lets not let them destroy your beautiful country for a few barrels of tar, which is all they care about.
Love
R
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