Dear John,

It has been a year since the Venezuelan government and opposition signed a vital agreement for the 'protection of the Venezuelan people.' The promise was to release the overseas funds frozen by sanctions and use them to finance programs in four areas: health, education, food security, and electricity. The program would be administered by the UN. But guess what? The U.S has not yet released the funds.

Do I need to say that this is outrageous? The Venezuelan government and the Venezuelan opposition reached a humanitarian agreement using Venezuela’s own funds and the U.S, one year later, still has those funds pirated? Nothing “humanitarian” about that!

Join us in demanding that President Biden release the frozen funds for humanitarian programs to help the Venezuelan people.

This week CODEPINK and other organizations gathered in Virginia to bury the outdated Monroe Doctrine, a doctrine that ultimately gave carte blanche for U.S. military invasions, support for military dictatorships, economic blackmail, and support for coups against democratically elected governments in the Americas.

Today’s most noticeable expression of the Monroe Doctrine is the use of Unilateral Coercive Measures, or sanctions. In the case of Venezuela, almost a decade of stringent U.S. sanctions has inflicted profound damage on Venezuela's economy and institutions with devastating humanitarian consequences. 

Their latest consequence is on Venezuelan migration to the U.S. It’s essential to recognize that the root cause of this migration crisis lies in the deliberate actions of the U.S. government, actions that have transformed Venezuela from a country with one of the highest minimum wages in Latin America to a nation in deep distress, forcing its citizens to flee in search of basic economic security. 

Demand that President Biden release the frozen funds for humanitarian programs as promised, unconditionally lift the sanctions, and respect Venezuela's right to self-determination without external interference.

The sanctions have affected every aspect of life in Venezuela, making it difficult for people to access basic necessities. Plus, they are widely unpopular in Venezuela, with 78% of Venezuelans blaming the U.S. sanctions for the drop in their quality of life. Tell President Biden that the U.S must release the funds to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

After 200 years of the Monroe Doctrine we ask: Why does the United States continue to insist on policies that harm the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean? Why not turn, instead, to a policy of mutual cooperation and respect for Latin American and Caribbean internal affairs? Why not convince rather than coerce, collaborate rather than impose? Why do we still not understand that the instability, violence and exploitation we promote  overseas backfire and lead to the migration challenges we face today in our own country? The Venezuelan people deserve the right to self-determination without external interference. 

Demand that President Biden release the frozen funds for humanitarian programs as promised, unconditionally lift the sanctions, and respect Venezuela's right to self-determination without external interference.

In radical solidarity,
Michelle, Medea, Teri, Ysa and the CODEPINK Team

PS: Check out more photos of the Monroe Doctrine burial here and watch the event here

PPS: Interested in organizing and learning more about Venezuela? Don't miss out on our webinar: Venezuela: U.S. Attacks, Media Distortions, and Global Solidarity on Wednesday, December 6 at 8pm (Eastern) / 5pm (Pacific). With this webinar we will launch the Venezuela Solidarity Network.