“It’s a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.” This working-class wisdom has been true as long as there has been war. Both here at home and overseas, poor and working-class people of all races overwhelmingly bear the weight of decisions to make war by rich white men in power.
Just like strategic racism is used to break up unions and fuel authoritarianism here at home, it’s also a key part of US imperialism. As Anne Braden warned, those in power scapegoat Black and Brown people to distract white communities from those who are actually stealing their futures.
We condemn the US attack on Venezuela as another act of imperial violence carried out in our name and paid for by working-class people everywhere. Wars are sold to white communities as “security” or “freedom,” but they reliably produce suffering, instability, and blowback rather than safety. At SURJ, our task remains the same as ever: to stay in committed, strategic action, and to bring more and more white people with us into the multiracial, antiracist, anti-war movement we need.
We have seen this play out disastrously in Iraq and Afghanistan: decades-long wars sold with fear and false promises, leaving millions dead or displaced. As white Americans, we must do our part to ensure this never happens again. Fighting racism in this moment means standing in solidarity with communities under attack by our government.
We are targeting Chevron and Citgo because we must hit them where it hurts – their pocketbooks. In November 2025, Billionaire Trump donor Paul Singer bought Citgo, which is the US subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-run oil company. Singer will reap billions more in profit if we let this criminal occupation continue. Meanwhile, Chevron is the only US oil company currently operating in Venezuela, which positions them well to expand their operations and squeeze even more profit from the country, especially with Marco Rubio’s imperial oversight.
In Solidarity,
Erin Heaney
SURJ Executive Director
P.S. Do you already know you want to host a day of action? Check out the May Day Strong Day of Action Toolkit here.
Showing Up for Racial Justice
PO Box 1376
Buffalo, NY 14205
United States