Nicolás Maduro's victory in the presidential contest held on Sunday (28) is an obstacle to the United States' hegemony in Latin America, says Stephanie Brito, from the International Peoples’ Assembly in an interview with Brasil de Fato on Monday (29).
“The United States really wanted this election to result in the end of the Bolivarian Revolution, the socialist government, because that would open the way for the US to, once again, act in an uncontested way on our continent,” Brito points out.
“Right now, what the US needs most is to keep what they consider their ‘backyard’ – that is, our continent – under control, but Venezuela is a huge obstacle because, during years and together with Cuba, the country dares to continue with their national development plan and the well-being of its citizens above the wishes and interests of the United States.”
The head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, stated on Monday (29) that the country is “seriously concerned” about the possibility of the Venezuelan electoral result not reflecting the people's will. He called for a “fair and transparent” vote count, after the right-wing opposition failed to recognize Maduro's victory.
“Now that the voting has concluded, it is vitally important that every vote is counted fairly and transparently. We call for the electoral authorities to publish the detailed tabulation of votes ('actas') to ensure transparency and ability,” he said.
Stephanie Brito stresses that the US interest in Latin American regional politics grows in a moment it is disputing with China and cannot unilaterally impose its agenda anymore.
“The United States is feeling very threatened by the Chinese economy, by the increasingly independent and autonomous stance of imperialism and a defiant Russia. The Palestinian conflict has led to the rise of Iran in the Middle East. In this context, the hegemony of the United States is being challenged. A new moment is opening up in geopolitics in which the US is unable to impose its agenda unilaterally, and in this sense, Venezuela is a major problem. What the US would most like is for it to be able to impose its agenda unilaterally, at least in Latin America, since it is failing to do so in the Middle East and Asia.”
*With AFP
