What is a free and fair election?

Well as far as the imperialists are concerned it’s only when they get the result they want. Nicolas Maduro defeated the chosen son of US imperialism in the Venezuelan presidential elections this month by a margin of 1.6 per cent. It was close but it was a nearly 80 per cent turn-out and it was still a victory for the left forces built by the late Hugo Chavez.

Now Washington is refusing to recognise the results and demanding a recount. Who can doubt what they would have said if the result had been the other way round?

In the old days the Americans would simply invaded to make sure their “vote” — the vote of the big corporations and their Venezuelan lackeys — count. US imperialism divided Korea to prevent Kim Il Sung being elected leader of the entire Korean people. The Americans kept Vietnam divided for years to stop Ho Chi Minh from winning a “free and fair” election in the country.

These days it’s not so easy even with a pliant United Nations Security Council at the beck and call of Washington. The majority of the world, including most of America’s allies, has recognised Maduro’s victory. All communists and progressive forces in Britain must re-affirm their support for those in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution and defend the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own destiny.