Op-Ed By Progressive Student Union 

Venezuela is a country under siege. For a decade now, US sanctions and embargo have constricted trade to the country, as punishment for the successes of the Bolivarian Revolution – and to force regime change upon the people of Venezuela. Assets have been seized, trade has been cut off, and the Western banking system has shunned the nation. Amid this, the country has persevered – and for this crime of defying the US, a Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab, was arrested three years ago.

It is important to understand the origin of US animosity towards Venezuela. Ever since Hugo Chavez, a visionary behind the Bolivarian Revolution, was elected in 1999, he took substantial measures to safeguard Venezuela's independence and promote the welfare of its citizens. Presently, this legacy of Bolivarianism endures, evident in the construction of 4 million homes, the provision of public education, and various food programs, to cite a few instances.

When oil prices dropped, and it was clear that Venezuela was vulnerable, the US struck with sanctions. Individuals such as government officials and their families were the first to be targeted, beginning in 2015, until in 2019, Venezuela was largely cut off from trade with the US. From the beginning, Venezuela was declared a “threat to national security”, when the only threat it posed was to the bottom line of oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron that saw their assets nationalized. The economic power that Venezuela held, and that the US sought to crush, was clear – in 2022, with gas prices rising, the US lifted several sanctions to try and import more oil.

Venezuela did not take this lying down, however. It is not the only country sanctioned by the US, and to feed its people, and provide medicine and fuel – it turned to other countries such as Iran. This is where Alex Saab’s story comes into play. Saab, a Colombian businessman, became involved with the Venezuelan government, tasked with importing food, fuel, and medicine from Iran in exchange for crude oil. (Venezuela lacks the capacity to refine its oil assets – and its refineries in the US have been seized by the federal government). This involved trips back and forth to Iran – leading to his arrest by Cape Verde, and extradition to the United States.

Saab, while acting in the capacity of a diplomat as a special envoy to Iran, was arrested in Cape Verde in June 2020. While detained in Cape Verde, he was tortured and denied medical care. At the same time, the government of Cape Verde, defied international law, with the backing of the US government; as a special envoy, though Alex Saab should enjoy diplomatic immunity. This concept has existed for centuries to guarantee the safe passage of diplomats – to avoid persecution such as this.

Nevertheless, the United States continued its campaign against Venezuela, using Alex Saab as a new bargaining chip. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discreetly sought to deny his diplomatic status, and in October 2021, he was extradited to the United States, and charged with 8 crimes. For over 1000 days now, he has not been able to see his family as he is kept in federal prison in Miami, and continues to be denied medical care.

It is important to recognize Alex Saab’s imprisonment as an imperialist assault on the people of Venezuela. Alex Saab’s arrest is part of a comprehensive effort to continue the embargo of Venezuela – not only can the country not trade with the US, not only can it not trade with the EU, but it now cannot trade even with other countries that the US is sanctioning. In the same stroke, the United States is trampling over international law to achieve this. The United States claims that it can prosecute Alex Saab because it simply does not recognize his status as a special envoy. If it can pull off this arrogance in broad daylight, it clearly demonstrates that the so-called international law is just a tool of US imperialism that the US only follows when convenient to its interests.

Opposing the United States’ imperialism as students is crucial. The student movement has a long history of international solidarity, from the movement against the Vietnam War in the 60s and 70s, to the calls to end apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s. The US will continue its boldfaced assault on the economies, politics, and peoples of other countries unless we recognize what power we have to demand an end to imperialist actions.

At the Progressive Student Union, we recognize the need to use direct action to use that power and put pressure for the freedom of people around the world from US imperialism. We view the student movement as multi-issue. Anti-imperialism goes hand in hand with the labor movement, the struggle for reproductive rights, and the fight to defend diversity in our schools. We are optimistic – movements can win, as they have in the past, and we have the potential to make wins against aggression against foreign nations. The campaign to free Alex Saab has continued for 1000 days, and it will continue for 1000 more if need be. Already seven of the eight charges have been dropped – the only one that remains is helping the Venezuelan people.

Published: 5/8/2023