TatuyTV (Venezuela): Unity and criticism in times of imperial siege

First published in Spanish at TatuyTV. Translation by Federico Fuentes for LINKS International Journal of Socialist Renewal.

Tatuy Community Television celebrates its 18th anniversary on August 31. This editorial recalls the ongoing relevance of our mission, and reaffirms the commitment and struggle that drives us in a world so full of challenges.

The genocide of our times

It is almost impossible to begin an analysis without thinking about Palestine. For almost two years, the State of Israel has perpetrated an incessant genocide against the Palestinian people, with levels of cruelty that were thought impossible.

Under helpless or complicit gazes, Palestinian families have suffered war crimes, deliberate starvation, and endless attacks against their humanity. Their resistance and resilience continues to inspire us, but there are many signs that the situation will continue to worsen.

For decades, Palestine, and Gaza in particular, have done us the “favour” of exposing and unmasking multilateralism. The United Nations is nothing more than an empty shell of good intentions, without the slightest capacity to stop the daily deaths of hundreds of children while diplomats cling to the ridiculous two-state solution.

The few who have consistently defended the Palestinian people have paid a high price for their stance. Globally, pro-Palestinian actions are multiplying in opposition to governments’ complicity, mainly Western ones. But the political cost is not yet high enough to provoke more than symbolic reactions.

Here, as in many other cases, the example of dignity set by Commandante Hugo Chávez stands out, breaking relations with Israel because one must act on principles, not only on interests.

The current period is marked by conflict on a global scale, with a declining empire clinging to its destructive hegemony. In this context, there is no shortage of prophets praising the virtues of multipolarity, especially through BRICS. But the conflict takes place within the framework of capitalism, and in the absence of any real alternatives. In the end, the price is paid by the peoples of the Global South.

Venezuela and the blockade

“Zooming in” on our country, reality continues to be overdetermined by the US imperialist blockade. More than 10 years have passed since the infamous “Obama Decree” [declaring Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat”]. That represents a decade of being bombarded with unilateral coercive measures [sanctions] designed to suffocate our country.

The first thing to say is that the sanctions have not achieved the desired “regime change.” At the macroeconomic level, Venezuela is set for its fifth consecutive year of economic growth. However, the economy is nearly three times smaller than in 2014.

The first eight months of the new Trump administration have been a roller coaster ride with an almost schizophrenic policy toward Venezuela. During that time, for example, Chevron’s license has been ratified, suspended, extended, withdrawn, and then changed. Sanctions should be seen as a policy that is here to stay, but adjusted to [US] interests at any particular time. Iran is a clear example of this, having been subject to sanctions for more than four decades.

At the same time, the most hawkish factions in Washington have rehashed their “narco-terrorism” narrative to justify a military deployment on Venezuela’s borders. While the most reactionary elements of the [Venezuelan] opposition dream of an invasion of their homeland, these actions should be seen as a pressure tactic, without underestimating the risk.

Similar situations occurred in 2019 (with tensions on the border with Colombia) and 2020 (with a similar deployment in the Caribbean). Today there is added tensions in the Essequibo, as well as the servile attitude of several governments in the region, which could serve as a potential source of provocation. Our call is to not lose sight of the historic and strategic enemy, but to keep thinking about the best ways to resist, build solidarity, and defend sovereignty.

Internal contradictions

Any revolutionary process is plagued by contradictions, even more so when faced with a permanent imperialist blockade. But ignoring these contradictions, or presenting them as if they were advances, is not the solution.

In Venezuela, the “cost” of the sanctions has been paid by the vast majority, the ordinary people. Purchasing power has vanished, migration has fractured families, and horizons have been trampled by the struggle to survive.

No one doubts the seriousness of the attacks and their impact on the economy, but responses need to be analysed and debated. The national government’s reaction has been to constantly offer concessions and benefits to private capital, both domestic and foreign, in the hope that this will stimulate investment to get us out of the crisis.

Whether due to the sanctions, the parasitic nature of Venezuelan capitalists or some other reason, these investments have been slow to arrive. Meanwhile, opportunities abound to extract profits under opaque “strategic alliances.” In many cases, the result is more short-term depredation, with dire long-term consequences for the people.

The danger is that the seemingly “exceptional” will become the new “normal”. That wages will be relegated to history, replaced by bonos [non-salary benefits known as bonuses] that allow workers to survive but destroy decades of labour gains. That the state will continue gradually withdrawing from strategic sectors, including oil. Resisting the blockade, in our case, is not simply about preserving political power, but maintaining a horizon consistent with the revolutionary project.

Loyalty and criticism

Having assessed the international and domestic context, it is fair to ask: what role should organisations such as TatuyTV play?

Ultimately, the answer is quite simple: reaffirm who we are. We are Chavistas. We are Bolivarians. We believe that imperialism is unacceptable. We believe that socialism is a strategic horizon more relevant today than yesterday.

We do not have a recipe, but we are deeply convinced that the solution lies in the organised people, in popular power. There is no shortage of speeches by Commandante Chávez explaining that we cannot build socialism with the blunt weapons of capitalism. There is no lack of examples of communes and other types of popular organisations that, even in the worst circumstances, find solutions by prioritising the common good.

Debate and criticism are fundamental on the left and among revolutionaries. Criticism is not about being right on social media, about offending, delegitimising or even criminalising person (or organisation) X or Y. It is a mechanism for questioning reality on the basis of certain principles, in order to then take collective action.

In this sense, we believe that closing down spaces for debate and silencing critical voices is as dangerous as it is anti-revolutionary. Only by upholding these practices [of debate and criticism] can we guarantee the possibility of unity, of joining forces to defend the homeland and the process. Responding to dissent by casting suspicion or criminalising the messenger undermines the foundations of the process, creating a complicit silence within which the real traitors and opportunists have free rein.

As for TatuyTV, our agenda is defined by its militants and no one else, under the principles we have built over these 18 years of struggle in defence of the Bolivarian Revolution. The organisation has never received funding from foreign organisations. In fact, we spend much of our time performing miracles to sustain our militancy with almost no resources, in the same situation as the working class.

Those who fight

So, returning to the question, we reaffirm what we have always been. Our role is to stand alongside the people who fight, who denounce, who organise and who do not give up in the face of exploitation and oppression.

We have consistently done so throughout our 18 years of existence, with dozens of committed men and women participating in TatuyTV. We have done everything, from traveling film forums to videos for social media, as well as countless training sessions with various grassroots organisations, but our mission has not changed. That is why, in the face of all the challenges, we are still here.

From our modest media trench, we will continue to raise awareness about the genocide in Palestine. We will continue to collaborate with communes and other organisations in training processes. We will continue to document the advances and contradictions inherent in a revolutionary process under siege. We will continue to defend the thinking and actions of Commander Chávez. We will not lose sight of the historic enemy, but neither will we forget the socialist horizon along the way.