As democratic socialists, we stand in solidarity with international struggles against economic exploitation, imperialist intervention, settler-colonial occupation, and the ravaging effects of the U.S. military-industrial complex.

Support for Left Governments in Latin America

We support the Latin American Pink Tide, which uses socialist principles to meet the needs of the many. Since the election of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 1998, Pink Tide leaders have lifted millions out of poverty and worked to end hunger and homelessness through increased taxes on the wealthy and corporations and nationalization of natural resources like oil and rare earth materials. Theirs is a model for other world leaders to follow to end the widespread suffering brought on by capitalism. The U.S. should do its part by ending all sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, abandoning support for undemocratic coups like the attempt in Bolivia, and by respecting the self-determination of Latin America.

An End to Endless Wars

From 2001 to 2019, the United States spent nearly $6.5 trillion on endless war in the Middle East. As of 2018, these wars have directly killed at least 480,000 people--244,000 of whom were civilians, including children. Indirect deaths, such as those from famine, disease, and violent crime do not factor into these estimates. Furthermore, life-altering physical and mental injuries, human trafficking, and the repercussions of losing family and community members impact millions more. We demand the United States end these endless wars by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria; ceasing all foreign aid to Saudi Arabia and Israel; using its seat as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to divest power therein to the United Nations General Assembly; and preventing new wars from beginning.

Hands off Iran and North Korea

The sanctions enacted against Iran and North Korea have led to decreased access to nutritious food and health services. In 2018, sanctions against North Korea resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths (80% of which were children younger than age 5). Sanctions against Iran have exacerbated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the exhaustion of health services and hindering access to the vaccine. We therefore call on the U.S. and its allies to work toward peaceful and humanitarian solutions with these countries, including ending sanctions on both countries and agreeing on mutual nuclear disarmament with North Korea.

Palestinian Solidarity

Since the Israeli occupation of Palestine began in 1948, the Israeli government has treated Palestinians like second-class citizens, seizing their homes and farmland, subjecting them to surveillance, and killing civilians indiscriminately. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, threatening to leave Palestinians untreated and unvaccinated. For these reasons, we stand in solidarity with our Palestinian comrades, support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and demand an end to the occupation.

An End to Corporate Imperialism

Multinational corporations have replaced the imperial forces of the past, shifting the focus to profit by any means necessary. They strip countries, states/provinces, and municipalities of their sovereignty, leading political leaders to put corporate profits above the well-being of their constituents. They set up shop in locations with lax labor laws and environmental regulations to save on operating costs at the expense of the local community. Specifically, we demand the following:

That the U.S. uses its influence and voting powers within the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to end the exploitative practices of predatory lending and austerity restructuring against the Global South.

That the member nations of the “new NAFTA,” the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), renegotiate the treaty to institute strong labor and environmental protections and to redress communities harmed by these neoliberal economic policies.

That the U.S. ends domestic austerity against Puerto Rico by dismantling PROMESA and forgiving all debt while respecting the island’s self-determination in its struggle for independence.

That the United States officially recognizes the harm done by settler-colonialism at home by recognizing and upholding all current treaties with Native American tribes, and providing restitution to indigenous Americans who have been harmed by our government’s historical policies towards them.