Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan leader, and his socialist administration have reportedly worked closely with left-leaning groups in the U.S., like Black Lives Matter (BLM), for several years before his recent ousting. Over the past decade, various organizations, including BLM and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), have engaged with Maduro, attending events and acting as official monitors during Venezuela’s controversial elections, as noted in public statements and social media updates from these groups. Some of these same organizations protested against the Trump administration’s actions on January 3, when Maduro was arrested on drug and arms charges.
The Venezuelan government has effectively leveraged these associations to bolster its influence, partly through Hugo Chavez’s 2006 address that urged Americans to form a united front challenging their nation’s interests, according to Mike Gonzalez from the Heritage Foundation. He argues that Chavez’s call helped spark the first U.S. World Social Forum meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007.
Chavez advocated for collective action, stating, “We must join together in a victorious attack against empire.” Notably, co-founders of BLM, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, took part in World Social Forum events, with Tometi linked to efforts allegedly financed by Chavez to incite political upheaval in the U.S.
Cameo Appearance
Long before his legal battles in New York, Maduro visited Harlem in 2015 for a discussion on Venezuelan rights alongside Tometi and others from BLM. The BLM movement defended the Venezuelan government even after Maduro’s arrest. The BLM Global Network Foundation has not responded to requests for comments.
Manolo de los Santos, from the People’s Forum in New York, also spoke at various events, including in Caracas, where Maduro publicly acknowledged his support. The summit in 2022 against fascism in Caracas saw participation from 53 countries, with Maduro delivering a speech outlining his views.
“A particular variant of fascism is embedded in American political culture,” remarked Eugene Puryear of the PSL, who has been active in organizing protests and disseminating similar sentiments across various gatherings since Maduro’s arrest.
In the wake of that arrest, both PSL and the People’s Forum quickly organized pro-Maduro demonstrations. Gonzalez articulated that the ties between Venezuelan officials and the American left reflect a shared collectivist mindset, suggesting their criticism of Western “authoritarianism” is merely a tactic.
Election Observer
Following Maduro’s Harlem visit, Tometi declared her role as a “global citizen” election observer on social media, expressing her comfort with the political discourse in Venezuela. Organizations like the DSA, National Lawyers Guild, and Alliance for Global Justice also designated observers in 2024, though they did not respond to inquiries.
The Biden administration, along with other Latin American nations, has denounced Maduro’s victory as fraudulent, pointing out election mismanagement, interference, and candidate exclusion. In contrast, groups supporting Maduro presented a different narrative, asserting that no significant fraud was observed and that voters expressed satisfaction with the electoral process.
The National Lawyers Guild concluded that mainstream media’s portrayal of the Maduro government has been alarmingly negative, which they believe attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the Bolivarian Republic and exaggerate dissent against Maduro.
They commended the Venezuelan government for adhering to democratic principles amidst pressures from the U.S. and expressed solidarity with those who voted in favor of democracy and justice.
