Venezuela Solidarity Emergency Response Network

The Venezuela Solidarity Network asked grassroots organizations around the country to support Venezula’s democracy by holding community meetings during the third week of October, 2006. These meetings brought communities together to formulate local Emergency Response Action Plans in the event of a critical intervention by the US against Venezuela. Each community developed a local plan of action, and chose a representative to help consolidate these plans into a National Emergency Response Plan. Get involved in your community’s ERN! The contact information can be found below.

Sign up for the ERN

Click here for a printable petition for use in building the ERN

LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTION PLANS:

ARIZONA
TUSCON:

In the event of a particularly critical intervention by the US against Venezuela (i.e. a coup attempt, an invasion, a blockade, a proxy invasion the US supports, etc.) we will activate a phone tree, and the day after the intervention we will have a demonstration at Sen. John McCain's office (due to the role the International Republican Institute has played in trying to destabilize Venezuela); AND, that will be followed up with another demonstration at the Federal Building on the Thursday following such an intervention. (There is a weekly demonstration in Tucson against US imperialism every Thursday, 5pm, at the Federal Building).

Information about the local action can be obtained from:
workertoworker@gmail.com or call 620-0480.

WASHINGTON, DC

If the US government commits a major intervention against Venezuela, DC activists will gather at 5:00pm at the Organization of American States on 17th St. between Constitution Avenue and C St., NW. If the intervention is late in the day, activists will gather at 5:00pm the following day.

A major intervention would include invasion by US troops or US supported proxy forces, cutting off diplomatic relations, an act of economic sabotage or strangulation, a coup or assassination, a naval blockade, failure to recognize democratic election results, or other actions of such serious breach of Venezuelan sovereignty that that act cannot go unopposed by US citizens and residents.

Information about the local action, in the event of a major intervention can be obtained from VSN@afgj.org or by calling 202-544-9355.

ILLINOIS
CHICAGO:

Meet at the Federal Building at 4:30 pm the day after an emergency response is called.

Contact for mobilization in Chicago in case of emergency:
Stephanie Weiner (773) 486-6357.

MINNESOTA
MINNEAPOLIS:

Meet at Federal Plaza in Minneapolis (at the corner of 4th and 4th in Downtown Minneapolis) at 4:30 pm the day of or after the provoking-event (depending on the time the call goes out).

There will be an event at Macalester College in St. Paul on the 4th to either celebrate the Chavez victory or prepare an emergency response if need be.

To contact the Hands Off Venezuela campaign in the Minneapolis area: msp@ushov.org

MISSOURI
ST. LOUIS:

The Hands Off Venezuela campaign in St. Louis met and agreed on a local Emergency Response Plan, to be coordinated with the Emergency Response Network nationally. A local contact person was selected to liaison emergency actions in the St. Louis area with the ERN. It was also agreed to network with local anti-war and social justice organizations to integrate the maximum forces for an emergency action.

Those in attendance were unanimous in selecting the downtown Federal Courthouse as the designated location for an emergency picket in the event of a serious U.S. intervention against Venezuela.

To contact the Hands Off Venezuela campaign in the St. Louis area and to join the local ERN list: sl@ushov.org or call (314) 435-2493.

OREGON
PORTLAND:

The ERN of Portland will gather at 5:00pm the next day [after major US intervention] in front of the Federal Building at Terry Shrunk Plaza. To build the event we would reach out to our own periphery, including our union contacts, the anti-war community, the immigrant rights community, and the American Friends Family Service Committee.

A major intervention that would warrant an emergency response could consist of an assassination or serious assassination attempt against Chavez, a coup, electoral fraud against Chavez, a direct US invasion or the invasion of a proxy army such as Columbia's, or a serious contra style attack.

Information about the local action can be obtained from:
vorps@yahoo.com (for the Portland Central American Solidarity Council).

PENNSYLVANIA
PHILADELPHIA:

Contact for mobilization in Philadelphia in case of emergency:

Global Women's Strike/Philly and Payday/Philly
215-848-1120
philly@crossroadswomen.net

RHODE ISLAND
PROVIDENCE:

In the event of an emergency call by the National ERN, the Rhode Island HoV campaign will send out an alert email to hold an emergency demonstration at the Federal Building directly across from the Kennedy Plaza bus terminal.

To get added to this alert list please contact: providence@ushov.org.

Other cities that met to form an ERN action plan:
Port St. Lucie, FL [Miami@newyouth.com]
Edwardsville, IL [jp@handsoffvenezuela.org or stlouis@ushov.org]
Boston, MA [cbmlkboston@hotmail.com]
Cincinnati, OH [jaureguino@hotmail.com]
Madison, WI [contact@handsoffvenezuela.org]
Milwaukee, WI [mkecircle@gmail.com]

To see the communities that met during the National Week of Community Meetings in Solidarity with Venezuela and Against US Intervention, click here!