FW: Solidarity Needed with Venezuela - Can You Help?

[Matthew Willgress]

No More Pinochets in Latin America – No to Coup Plotters in Venezuela! A VSC Emergency Appeal for Your Support Hello Matthew,   I wrote to you (see below) earlier this year asking for your support in an emergency financial appeal. I am delighted to say we have now raised over £6000 of our £10,000 target & would ask you to donate today to help us reach our goal.   The recent assasination of Roberto Serra has reminded us how much is at stake in Venezuela, & this week, US Republican Senator, Marco Rubio, stated his hope that his party’s gains in the midterm elections would put more pressure on Obama to approve harsher sanctions against Venezuela, further showing why we urgently need your support to step up our campaigning. If 500 people donate £20 we will raise enough to continue to increase our impact, so please give what you can to help us expand our work. Our campaign successes such as breaking the international media silence around Serra's murder, an increasing number of MPs speaking up against US sanctions & our most successful conference yet show what we can achieve with your support - please donate £20 or whatever you can afford today. Best wishes, Matt Willgress, VSC National Co-ordinator PS: If 200 more people donate £20 we will raise enough to increase our impact at this vital time. _________________ ORIGINAL APPEAL:    Hello Matthew,   Twelve years ago today the temporarily successful 2002 US-backed coup against Hugo Chavez took place. Now, Venezuela’s revolution is again fighting for its life. The former ruling elite are seeking to create the conditions to justify a coup & external intervention, accompanied by an international wave of media misrepresentation, including in Britain. To respond to this emergency VSC has launched an emergency financial appeal for £10,000 - We are loudly saying No More Pinochets in Latin America- No to Extreme Right-Wing Coup Plotters in Venezuela! If 500 people donate £20 we will raise enough to increase our impact at this vital time. Donate now Recent weeks have seen a wave of terror against the population from extreme Right elements, some even resorting to putting diesel in water supplies, others attacking a housing programme’s HQ and its neighbouring pre-school, & numerous deadly, militarised street barricades being set up. The threat of US sanctions has been put on the table. Responding to these threats is crucial in the months ahead. Your support to enable us to do this is absolutely vital. Already, our response to the US war mongers & coup plotters has been internationally praised & extremely effective. Now, reaching our £10,000 target has the potential to significantly increase everything we are able to achieve, & launch a range of new, hard-hitting initiatives, just when we need it the most. All of this happened & our campaign is effective because we are ordinary people & activists willing to stand up for Venezuela. Unsurprisingly, we don’t get hand-outs from big corporates or wealthy individuals. We rely on everyone contributing what they can to make it work & ensure we have the maximum impact. Together we have ensured: ·         187,000 Guardian readers in addition to 100,000s online saw our statement signed by more than 100 leading figures from across society supporting peace & dialogue, getting coverage from Latin America’s premier progressive news outlet Telesur. ·         Our FAQs document was internationally circulated & acclaimed, including by Eva Golinger & Oliver Stone as a must read - the latest example of us producing the best information available. ·         The challenging of media misrepresentation, including by bringing together academics from 14 universities to challenge misrepresentation through an Open Letter to the Guardian. ·         10,000s of new people have found out what is really happening through our Facebook & Twitter pages. ·         Packed meetings in our No More Pinochets tour have seen hundreds hear about what’s really happening. But now, as the wave of extreme right-wing, anti-democratic violence in Venezuela continues, we need to do more. So please take a minute to give what you can, to directly fund the work you want to see to defend the amazing legacy of Hugo Chavez. Now we want to: ·        Ensure that as many MPs as possible sign our European statement supporting Latin America’s work for peace & dialogue & opposing proposed US sanctions. ·         Roll out our ‘No More Pinochets ‘ tour, organising a dozen more meetings. ·         Send regular myth busting briefings to journalists, MPs & opinion formers. ·         Make our May 10 national conference the most successful solidarity event yet. ·         Create new & innovative social media content to get the message out to 10,000s of new people. If 500 people give £20, we will raise enough to ensure we increase our impact at this vital time. We get a lot done with surprisingly little money. We are extremely efficient. But it isn't free. Funding can be a problem for organisations like us.  Please therefore donate what you can today. Regardless of whether or not you’re able to donate right now, thank you for everything you do for Venezuela – it is greatly appreciated both here & in Venezuela.   Matt Willgress National Co-ordinator, VSC PS: You can also donate by cheque made out to ‘Venezuela Solidarity Campaign’  & marked ‘Emergency Appeal’ to VSC c/o Unite London & Eastern Region, 33-37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB. Donate now Donate now "Since the triumph of our Revolution, Venezuela has been transformed. Now we are entering a new stage in this struggle; but have many powerful enemies. Please support this appeal so VSC can carry on its vital work."   Jacobo Torres, International Officer, Venezuelan TUC Equivalent Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook You can also donate to us at: Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, c/o Unite, 33-37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB Cheques should be made payable to Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Unsubscribe / Change Profile Powered by YMLP