Venezuelan President says ‘fascism has failed in Venezuela’

Caracas, Aug 20 (IANS) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared “fascism has failed in Venezuela” in a meeting with the national leadership of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies in the Great Patriotic Pole coalition.
“We will not allow fascism to assault power in Venezuela,” Maduro said on Monday, calling on supporters “to consolidate the victory against hatred, against lies, against manipulation”.Assessing Venezuela’s political landscape after the July 28 presidential elections, the Venezuelan President said the coalition and its supporters were “defeating a coup d’etat”, as reported by Xinhua news agency.He described post-election attempts to destabilise the country through online disinformation campaigns as a “cyber coup d’etat,” warning that “woe betide anyone who falls for the narrative that attempts to justify a coup d’etat and the establishment of a violent regime”.”Fascism has failed in Venezuela, we have defeated it,” he said.Immediately following the presidential elections, violence broke out in parts of the capital Caracas and other cities, which the government said was instigated by opposition groups.Venezuela plans to convene a world anti-fascist Congress, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.”We are convening a world Congress against fascism, neo-fascism and other such manifestations and will invite participants from all continents,” he said at a meeting of the ruling United Socialist Party and the Great Patriotic Pole alliance, which was aired by Venezolana de Television.According to Maduro, invitations will be sent to “thinkers, intellectuals, actors, social and political leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the US, Latin America, and Caribbean countries.”Venezuela will be a global epicentre of anti-fascism fight,” he stressed.He said that the anti-fascist forum would be held “much earlier than Venezuela’s Congress scheduled for October 18-20, 2024.Venezuela’s Parliament is considering a bill against fascism amid far-right group’s attempts to stir violence and unrest in the country following the July 28 presidential election.–IANSint/khz