The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) congratulated Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people for their clear victory in the presidential election on July 28. The NDFP International Relations Office said the Pres. Maduro’s victory is the Venezuelan people’s clear rejection of US imperialism.

With the victory of the Venezuelan people, the US imperialist plan of restoring Venezuela into a neocolonial puppet state through reactionary opposition has failed, the NDFP declared.

This is Maduro’s third victory in the Venezuelan presidential election. Held on July 28, Maduro got 51.2% of the election votes, against his opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who got 44.2%. Maduro was a bus driver who replaced Hugo Chavez and continued the national and democratic policies in Venezuela.

Chávez followed the example of the hero Simón Bolívar and his desire for a united South America. While president from 2000 to 2012, he incorporated socialist and Marxist ideas into his administration. The Venezuelan government has emphasized import-substitution policies, limiting imported manufactured goods and providing subsidies to promote the development of local manufacturing.

He also implemented comprehensive reforms to correct unequal land ownership. By the end of the 20th century, Venezuela’s industries had diversified, and the country was able to develop additional natural resources.

During these times, and to this day, US imperialism has repeatedly attempted to remove Chávez, and his successor Maduro, from power. The US tried coups d’etat, fomented riots and so on.

“Unable to restore its neocolonial control of Venezuela, the US and its allied western imperialists imposed crippling economic sanctions which generated a humanitarian crisis in the country,” the NDFP International Relations Office emphasized.

The dire difficulties experienced by the Venezuelan people today is being hyped by the western press and the US-funded reactionary opposition as proof that the Bolivarian government should therefore be replaced.

“The revolutionary Bolivarian government led by Maduro has the right to defend itself against US imperialism and its reactionary cohorts,” the NDFP International Relations Office said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines also expressed solidarity with the struggle of the Venezuelan people against US imperialism. “The Venezuelan people’s resistance inspires militance and fires the people’s determination across the world to fight US imperialist domination,” Marco Valbuena, the Party’s information officer, said.