This statement was written by Local 1215 Executive Board Member Emma Ramirez, on behalf of our membership.
The United States’ increasing aggression and possible war on Venezuela is unfounded and unjust. American politicians, corporations, and, regrettably, labor organizations such as the AFL-CIO have a history of interfering in Venezuelan affairs, and this deadly interference has escalated over the past few months. As everyday American workers in solidarity with everyday Venezuelans, we oppose this taxpayer-funded violence.
Labor unions have a long history of criticizing U.S. military interventions and calling for peace. AFSCME locals have opposed U.S. intervention in Iraq, Syria, and Palestine, for example, in recent decades. Now, it is time to call for an end to U.S. aggression on Venezuela. The members of AFSCME Local 1215 condemn the strikes on boats in international waters that have killed over 80 people and the amassing of weapons in the region. We support the efforts of Representatives to block these actions and prevent the President from unilaterally waging war. We call for the end of “Operation Southern Spear,” the military and surveillance campaign that threatens all nations in the Caribbean and beyond. We join the United National Antiwar Coalition in calling for peace across the Americas.
The Trump administration has justified its attacks on Venezuela as efforts to stop the flow of drugs into this country. Chicagoans know all too well how a “War on Drugs” destabilizes communities and does little to protect the health of Americans. If the federal government cared about keeping Americans healthy, they would not have slashed substance abuse grants for Illinois and grants that support the Chicago Department of Public Health, resulting in proposed layoffs of our union siblings in AFSCME Local 505.
We are also familiar, as workers who serve the most vulnerable populations in Chicago, with the effects of U.S. aggression on Venezuelans. Venezuelan migrants, fleeing violence and instability in their own country, are the second-fastest growing immigrant group in the city. Many city departments, including the Chicago Public Library, have made efforts to support these new arrivals. However, their tenuous situation has become more dangerous, with horrifying ICE raids and the revocation of their temporary legal status. As Chicagoans, we oppose the targeting of our Venezuelan neighbors and their home country. They should not have to fear the American government in Chicago or abroad.
We say NO to ICE’s war on Chicago! We say NO to a U.S. war on Venezuela!