Hands Off Venezuela
{{Short description|Political lobby group in the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Hands Off Venezuela
|image = Handsoffvenezuelalogo.png
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|caption = Hands Off Venezuela logo
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|formation = 2002
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|type = Political pressure group
|status =
|purpose = To build support for Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian revolution
|headquarters = London, England
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|leader_title = National Secretary
|leader_name = Jorge Martin
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|website = http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org
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}}Hands Off Venezuela is a political lobby group based in the United Kingdom with branches in other countries.Launch statement of the Iranian Hand Off Venezuela Campaign, [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/iranian_hands_off_venezuela.htm (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904041255/http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/iranian_hands_off_venezuela.htm |date=2006-09-04 }}, HOV, URL accessed 27 July 2006 The campaign was established in December 2002, following the Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002, with the aim of increasing public and political awareness in the UK and elsewhere of the Hugo Chávez government's social and political reformsAbout Hands Off Venezuela, [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/about_us.htm (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060808001608/http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/about_us.htm |date=2006-08-08 }}, HOV, URL accessed 27 July 2006 and to counter what Hands Off Venezuela sees as a "US-funded propaganda campaign" in the west to paint Chávez as a dictator and a threat to democracy.The Independent labels Hugo Chávez a "dictator", [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/hugo_chavez_dictator090606.htm (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060708092441/http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/hugo_chavez_dictator090606.htm |date=2006-07-08 }}, Letter to Editor, URL accessed 27 July 2006
History
The organisation was founded by the International Marxist Tendency's Alan Woods, a Welsh Trotskyist and political writer, who wrote an appeal,Original HoV appeal, [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=61 (link)], URL accessed 27 July 2006 calling for "defense of the revolutionary process in Venezuela" and to defend the Bolivarian Revolution, to oppose US intervention in Venezuela, and to ensure that information about what was happening in Venezuela would reach the international labour movement.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
Activity
Image:HandsOffVenezuelaChavezLondonVisit.jpg
The organisation issues press releases to counter unfavourable western media reports on the Chávez government, organises protests and participates in national anti-war demonstrations, and works in the British Trade Union Movement. It also has a presence on UK university campuses, where they hold regular lecture sessions on developments in Venezuela, organise visits by Venezuelan Trade Unionists, and screen documentaries.
The organization participated in the visit by Hugo Chávez to London as a guest of Mayor Ken Livingstone. During this trip Chávez refused to meet UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who he described as a "pawn of [US] imperialism"."Hugo Chávez to Meet With London Leftists, But No Gov't Bigs", [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195388,00.html (link)], Fox News, URL accessed 27 July 2006 HOV participated in the resolutions of official support passed by the British Trades Union Congress in 2005 (Motion 79"Global Solidarity" (scroll down to motion 79), [http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-10411-f5.cfm#tuc-10411-5 (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117102306/http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-10411-f5.cfm#tuc-10411-5 |date=2007-11-17 }}, TUC, accessed 16 October 2007) and 2007 (Motion 76"Global Solidarity" (scroll down to motion 76), [http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-13631-f5.cfm (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017023049/http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-13631-f5.cfm |date=2007-10-17 }}, TUC, accessed 16 October 2007), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (Resolution 108"Resolution 108", [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/scottish_tuc_resolution108.htm (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828002518/http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/scottish_tuc_resolution108.htm |date=2006-08-28 }}, HOV, URL accessed 27 July 2006) and an Early Day Motion (EDM 487"Early Day Motion 487", [http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28723 (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709205549/http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28723 |date=2006-07-09 }}, Parliament.uk, URL accessed 27 July 2006) raised in the House of Commons by supporter John McDonnell, MP.
Other supporters include Jeremy Dear, former general secretary of the British National Union of Journalists, George Galloway and the RESPECT party."Old Labour: Hugo Chávez's UK propagandists" by Aleksander Boyd, [http://www.vcrisis.com/print.php?content=letters/200602170621 (link)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111210458/http://www.vcrisis.com/print.php?content=letters%2F200602170621 |date=2020-11-11 }}, Vcrisis.com, URL accessed 27 July 2006 President Chávez officially thanked the organisation for their work."Chavez praises Marxist.com and backs Hands off Venezuela campaign", [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/content/view/120/43/ (Press Release)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060708203654/http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/content/view/120/43/ |date=2006-07-08 }}, HOV, URL accessed 27 July 2006
= 2019 =
During the Venezuelan presidential crisis, disputed president Nicolás Maduro launched a "Hands Off Venezuela" petition and protested in Washington, D.C.{{cite news |url= https://www.apnews.com/8911fd4088f74c41ad5f512f8378ef82 |publisher= AP News |title= Venezuelan opposition leader takes campaign to northern city |author= Llano, Fernando |date= 16 March 2019 |accessdate= 15 April 2019}}
Two weeks after thirty members of New Haven, Connecticut's Venezuelan community twice demonstrated in favor of Juan Guaidó, twenty HOV demonstrators protested to "declare him a puppet of U.S. imperialism". The HOV message "contrasted with the message of the previous rally, held by Venezuelan immigrants, calling on the U.S. to support regime change."{{cite news |url=https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/guaido_president_or_puppet/ |accessdate= 15 April 2019 |title= This Time, Pro-Maduro Protesters Rally At City Hall |author= Montgomery, Molly |date= 15 February 2019 |work= New Haven Independent}}{{cite news |url= https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/mi_presidente_es_guaido/ |title= 'Mi Presidente Es Guaidó!' |work= New Haven Independent |author= Montgomery, Molly |date= 3 February 2019 |accessdate= 15 April 2019}}
Publications
In 2006, HOV launched a 24-page glossy promotional magazine, also called "Hands Off Venezuela", and put together an international delegation with members from around the world to observe the December 2006 Presidential Elections first hand.
Year 2007 saw the campaign launch H.O.V FM, a monthly podcast available from its official website. The show features news, interviews, solidarity work, revolutionary music and features and is aimed at both activists and curious minds.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/ Hands Off Venezuela] Official Hands Off Venezuela website.
- Articles on HOV: [http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/author/view/450/ (PoliticalAffairs.Net)]
- John McDonnell, MP (National Steering Committee of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign), calls on Parliament to recognise the work of HOV. [https://archive.today/20130505173217/http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28723&SESSION=875 (EDM 487)]
Category:Organizations of the Bolivarian Revolution
Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom
Category:Foreign policy political advocacy groups in the United States
Category:United States–Venezuela relations