"In the development of the strategy of the United States, we assume that we must maintain our pre-established impartial leadership role in the OAS. This means limiting the visibility of the U.S. in the OAS, while playing our role behind the scenes as much as possible. We must encourage Latin Americans to take the initiative but, if necessary, make suggestions to them to take up our own initiatives based on all issues of importance to us."

Confidential report by the Interagency Working Group on Chile, formed by order of Richard Nixon to design proposals for sanctions and pressure aimed at overthrowing President Allende

The Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity condemns the reuse of the Organization of American States (OAS) as an administrating agent and requests the removal of its general secretary

It is known by all of us, and has been proven historically time and again, that since the United States was formed as an independent nation it has been intent on domination over the rest of the Americas. It unilaterally operates only out of consideration and assurance of their vital interests.

It has not always succeeded. The spirit of rebellion ingrained in the soul of the inhabitants of these lands since we confronted the first Spanish invader, the first rapist of Aboriginal women, the first plunderer of our wealth, the first enslaver, the first priest who tried to subdue our conscience, the first royal law of an unknown King and later to the successive oligarchic groups that after the death of Bolivar ruled with power, has managed at times to impose and to make the will and dignity of the people triumph over the forces that attempted to subdue them.

However, at all times in which oligarchies have been imposed on the people, the United States has acted always as the master puppeteer. None of those groups in power have acted without the will of the US intervening with its military, political or economic clout. These interventions have been very conveniently cloaked in legal screens since the Pan American Union followed by the OAS and these plans have been fiercely fought in the struggle to make our world in accordance with the hopes of the people.

Today the government of Bolivarian Venezuela is being subjected to a new attempt to overthrow its legitimacy. A government that for 18 years has had successive electoral triumphs and continues to lead our country towards a destiny of complete sovereignty and justice. This new attempt is a step in the restoration plan of the control of the continent that the US requires to maintain its supremacy in the world today. This time it is relying on its Ministry of Colonies, the OAS, as it once did against revolutionary Cuba. This new attack is being conducted by the most blatant servant they could find; the Uruguayan Luis Almagro, who has proven to be a loyal tool since he was foreign minister of his own country.

This action has already been unveiled in their own Plan of the Southern Command "Freedom 2" and constitutes a step forward for the Executive Order from Obama. In the current period in which the world order is slipping from the grasp of the Empire of the North, it does not care if it has to sacrifice invisibility for speed. The Empire needs urgently to put an end to the "bad examples" that teach that there is an alternative path to its plan of total domination. They are now exhibiting their most extreme methods of mafia extortion by threatening to cut off financial aid to those countries that have opted for the defense of Venezuela.

Unfortunately there is a group of Venezuelan men and women who are facilitating their work. These people are negating and betraying our history of resistance and the heroic struggles for freedom of our people. They are going through the world selling out their own homeland and their soul to the first person who dares to order intervention in Venezuela, disregarding that they will bear the historical responsibility of the destruction of their own people in exchange for a few crumbs that the financial and military conglomerates that serve the Empire hands out to them.

As people of Miranda we are convinced that anything solid or stable can be built in a country, but not before it can achieve its absolute independence and for that reason it is more urgent than ever to consolidate the union of our people.

Until then why should we continue allowing the imperial enclave of the OAS to exist when we have our own organizations such as CELAC, UNASUR and ALBA? Why should we continue allowing traitors like Almagro to occupy positions from which, like his namesake conqueror, they can try to make free people kneel and put them at the service of the new emperors? We believe we are totally justified in asking for the immediate removal of Mr. Almagro as Secretary General of the OAS and that this organization reduces its actions as an intermediary between the two Americas or end it all together.

It is time to keep our heads up while demanding the dignity of the people is respected. It is not the time to allow the advances made by our people go backwards under the tons of media slander and smear campaigns. It is time for unity of struggle for the final battle and the definitive victory over the imperial excesses.

Caracas, March 28, 2017

Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity (REDH - Spanish acronym)