José Genoino: the current stage of imperialism means plunder and pillage.

247 - According to former federal deputy and former national president of the PT (Workers' Party), José Genoino, the crisis involving Venezuela cannot be understood through rhetorical disputes about democracy or human rights. For him, what is happening is a direct and undisguised expression of imperialism in its current phase, marked by the violent appropriation of strategic resources and the imposition of force. This assessment was made during his participation in the program "Giro das Onze," where Genoino adopted a tone of indignation and warning regarding the international scenario.

On the TV 247 program "Giro das Onze," Genoino stated that recent events have laid bare a historical logic that is once again openly asserting itself. "Imperialism has thrown scruples, shame, and lies to the wind. It has laid everything bare," he declared, arguing that there is no longer any effort to conceal economic and geopolitical interests behind the actions against Venezuela. In his view, illusions about a moderate imperialism have been discarded, leaving only the reality of confrontation and plunder.

When directly addressing Venezuela, Genoino was emphatic in rejecting the official justifications used to legitimize the foreign offensive. “It’s a military invasion by the United States to obtain oil. That’s what it’s about. It’s not democracy, it’s not human rights, it’s nothing, it’s plunder,” he stated. At another point, he summarized his analysis by saying that “the current stage of imperialism means plunder and pillage,” relating this practice to a historical trajectory of capitalism based on the exploitation of peoples and territories.

The former congressman also emphasized that, although the Venezuelan experience has dilemmas and problems, this does not justify its delegitimization or submission to external forces. "I am a defender of Venezuela, of its sovereignty," he stated, stressing that no country is exempt from contradictions and that real political processes are always marked by limits and conflicts. For him, the essential thing is to defend the right of peoples to build their own paths without imperial coercion.

Genoino directed harsh criticism at the coverage by the international mainstream media and its reproduction in Brazil, arguing that there is a deliberate attempt to downplay or normalize the violence. According to him, media outlets avoid terms that would make explicit the gravity of what occurred, while the Brazilian media acts in a subservient manner. "No open television channel talks about kidnapping," he said, warning of the risk of accepting as normal what he considers a serious breach of international norms.

According to the former congressman, the United States has a clear culprit in this process. He pointed to Donald Trump as the main aggressor and stated that he reacted with outrage to the Republican's public statements. For Genoino, US foreign policy operates shamelessly, mobilizing military and economic power to guarantee control of strategic resources, especially in Latin America.

The conclusion presented in the program was that there is no room for neutrality or accommodation. Genoino argued that the response to imperialism must be political and social, articulated around denunciation, international solidarity, and organized resistance. In his view, accepting the dominant narrative or relativizing aggression means relinquishing sovereignty and legitimizing an international order based, once again, on force and plunder.