Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro mark a dangerous escalation in Washington’s long-running campaign against the Venezuelan people.

This is a war for Venezuela’s oil — the largest proven oil reserves in the world.

It is also the first step in a new strategy to turn the whole of Latin America back into a US colony.

If Trump gets his way, this trampling of international law will not stop with Venezuela. Trump is not only threatening to bomb Venezuela again unless it submits to US demands, he is openly threatening Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba among others.

While the bombing of Venezuela marks a dangerous new phase, the war on Venezuela itself is not new.

For more than 25 years, the country has faced US-backed coups, destabilisation, economic sanctions, and violent opposition campaigns to restore the old order that served US interests.

Now more than ever, we must build solidarity with Venezuela and demand Hands Off Latin America. Join the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign today and help us do that.

The US war on Venezuela began soon after progressive leader Hugo Chávez was first elected at the turn of the century on the promise to take back control of Venezuela’s oil and use it to fund social programmes in healthcare, education, housing, and poverty reduction.

Venezuela also worked to challenge Washington’s long-standing treatment of Latin America as its “backyard”.

In the eyes of the United States, these were the real “crimes” committed by the Venezuelan people.

The US has repeatedly sought to overthrow the government of President Chávez and later of Nicolás Maduro.

For more than two decades, the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign has worked in Britain — alongside trade unions, MPs, and social movements — to expose this aggression and to defend Venezuela’s right to decide its own future.

Now more than ever, we must step up our campaigning to defend Venezuela, secure the safe return of Nicolás Maduro, and for peace across the region.

Join us