Nelson Davila, Venezuelan ambassador to Australia, spoke to teleSUR English about his country's upcoming parliamentary elections. It has been over two years since former president Hugo Chavez died, giving way to what the Maduro government calls an "economic war" on the Venezuelan people. Violence from the opposition has also led to over 50 deaths, hundreds of injuries and widespread damage to public property, from schools and health units to hundreds of public buses. December's elections are thus shaping up to be critically important for the Venezuelan people and their revolution.

teleSUR English: On Dec. 6 Venezuelans will elect their new national assembly legislators, in elections that are possibly the most important so far. Briefly, why is that?

Davila: The national assembly is the regulating body of all activity in the country. If the government loses its majority support, the opposition could initiate constitutional actions against the current government. If it were to win a majority it could provoke a parliamentary coup like what happened in Paraguay and Honduras. That's why the elections are really important. Also, if the government doesn't maintain its majority it would show that there has been a loss of the people's support.

teleSUR English: Why do these elections matter to the left-wing governments and the movements of Latin America?

Davila: Political and social change in Latin America are objectives that the regional right-wing want to destroy. If there is a defeat of a progressive country, it is encouragement for the them and they would try to get rid of the rest of the grassroots struggles in Latin America. What happens in these parliamentary elections in Venezuela ... if the opposition were to win ... that would have negative consequences for Latin America.

teleSUR English: And no doubt any win for the opposition in Venezuela would also give them more material resources as well, though as many of them are business owners, they already have a lot. So, why are Venezuela's elections important globally?

Davila: Capitalism, at the global level, is exhausted, and Latin America has woken up, and the right-wing aims to defeat governments that struggle against neoliberalism. If the elections were lost in Venezuela, the right would send a message that left-wing struggles and those for socialism don't have a future.

teleSUR English: Does the Boliviarian revolution need Latin American and global solidarity? Why? And if so, what forms could that take, and what have they taken so far?

Davila: Venezuela is being subjected to an international campaign against it – a political, economic, and communicational campaign. The U.S. is trying to defeat the Bolivarian revolution no matter what. Operation Pincer (Tenaza) is something imperialism has kicked off through the border situations that Venezuela is experiencing with Colombia and Guyana. They want to close Venezuela in with two international conflicts. Guyana has scheduled military exercises in the Essequibo, Venezuelan territory. So they use the issues of Colombia and Guyana to try to intervene in our country. That’s why actions around the world have been organized (in solidarity) with Venezuela, to then defeat the plans of the empire. These actions have been organized by intellectuals, political parties, and solidarity groups. They show that the revolution in Venezuela isn't alone. All this solidarity also serves to combat the international media campaign against Venezuela. Help from political and social movements from around the world gives strength to the Bolivarian revolution.

Edited by Venezuelanalysis