The Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation carryed out toda September 1st an initiative in solidarity with the Venezuelan people. This initiative had the participation of the Venezuelan Ambassador in Portugal, General Lucas Rincón Romero, various other diplomats, representatives of various Portuguese organizations and other activists that stand in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution and with the inalienable right of the Venezuelan people to follow the path it chooses free from any foreign interference.

Please read bellow the speech delivered by Filipe Ferreira in representation of the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation:

On behalf of the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC) I salute all those here today, in solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution and the inalienable right of the Venezuelan people to follow the path they chose freely without external encroachment of any nature.

I also specially salute​ his Excellency Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, General in Chief Lucas Rincón Romero, who honors us with his presence, as well as the other diplomats and members of the Venezuelan Embassy and Consulate in Portugal.

​Those that are here and those who although not able to come are also here through the support they demonstrate, we know that we must denounce the provocative actions that sectors and groups of the Venezuelan
right-wing ​ intend to put into practice today, September 1st, in the so-called "Taking of Caracas".

Groups of the Venezuelan right-wing who, concerted with the US have been developing a destabilizing criminal action of a coup nature, with the promotion of violence – including assassinations – and economic sabotage​, as well as large operation of media manipulation, in order to prepare the public opinion for a new escalation of foreign encroachment in Venezuela.

As we know, the United States and the Venezuelan Oligarchy have – since the first moment, after the election of President Hugo Chávez Frias, in 1998 – the objective of defeating the Bolivarian revolution and setback its advances, achievements and democratic progress – political, economic, social, cultural – and the sovereign affirmation of the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The CPPC reaffirms its condemnation for the destabilizing action pursued by the United States against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; reaffirms its repudiation of the US executive order – approved in March of 2015 and recently extended by Barack Obama – that, inadmissibly, considers Venezuela an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States"​, measure that is accompanied by the application of unacceptable sanctions against Venezuela.

The CPPC reaffirms that it is not Venezuela that represents a threat to the United States, but the United States who represent a threat to Venezuela and its people.

We recall that the United States, in addition to its 4th Fleet deployed to all Latin America, possess 13 military bases in the neighborhood of Venezuela and spend billions of dollars annually to finance the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) with which they foster and sponsor the destabilization of democratic and popular governments, as is the case with the constitutional Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, led by President Nicolás Maduro.

Recall that the United States are the protagonists of years of encroachment and destabilization in Venezuela, enacting, instigating and supported coup actions, economic boycott and violent action in this Country – and throughout Latin America, such as Chile, Argentina, Panama, Granada, Honduras, Paraguay, Brazil, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Equador, Cuba and many, many other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

After a decade and a half of historic advances in sovereign affirmation and progress in numerous countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the creation of ALBA, ​UNASUL, CELAC, ​and ​MERCOSUL​, important processes of integration and cooperation outside the reach of US imperialism and its OAS, the United States want to ​resume the initiative and impose their dominion again, but we are sure they will face the resistance and struggle of Latin American peoples in defense of their rights and they sovereignty.

​Saluting the Portuguese emigrant community in Venezuela, CPPC reaffirms its solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with its constitutional government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, with the Committee of ​International Solidarity and Struggle for Peace (COSI) and their defense of the important progressive advances achieved and the sovereignty and independence of Venezuela in the face of encroachment and foreign aggression.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela does not surrender!

Solidarity with the Venezuelan People!