The Venezuelan minister for education, Héctor Rodríguez, has condemned the suffering that all sectors of society have undergone as a result of the unilateral coercive measures—wrongfully called sanctions—imposed by the US empire against the Venezuelan people.During the Meeting for a Peaceful and Sanction-Free Venezuela held in Monagas state this Thursday, April 23, Rodríguez recalled that some far-right opposition sectors in the nation had been requesting that the country be blockaded and sanctioned under the claims it would only affect a specific portion of the population. “It turns out that wasn’t the case,” he noted.Rodríguez explained that “we have all been victims. We are all being held hostage,” referring to the heavy burden of the blockade. He highlighted the fact that even Fedecámaras—the combined federal chambers of commerce—despite not historically supporting the Bolivarian Revolution, warned from the beginning that these coercive measures would severely damage the Venezuelan economy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by VTV Canal 8 (@vtv_canal8)“The highest oil revenue we had was around US $4 billion per month,” he explained, “and that, after the blockade and the sanctions, dropped by 99 percent.” He noted that this revenue served as an “indisputable lever” for other economic actors, affecting public services and social policy.Rodríguez acknowledged that the people’s resourcefulness allowed them to emerge from “the toughest times,” even when shelves were empty, and praised citizens for maintaining a peaceful attitude in the face of adversity. “We Venezuelans, who share a very peaceful spirituality, knew how to manage that with a certain rationality,” he declared.He further warned that the modern world is experiencing an escalation of economic chaos and war—military, social, and political—alongside a battle of ideology that attempts to “normalize racism, sexism, inequality, and injustice.”Reflecting on recent years, Rodríguez explained that the country had been “on the brink due to errors on all sides” that must be looked at so the mistakes of the past are not repeated. He added that Venezuelan political history cannot be understood without the role of oil in global tensions. “We all have an obligation to understand,” he said, “to study, in order to be able to govern the country correctly.”Conflict must be resolved through dialogueThe minister further stressed that while conflicts are inherent to any complex society, they must not be resolved through violence.“The conflict must be resolved through dialogue,” he explained, “through peace, through method, by evaluating the contradictions and seeking consensus.” He noted that failing to achieve this in the past has “cost us dearly,” leading to political extremes.He added that Venezuelans are tired of conflict and do not want blockades, sanctions, or violent protests. “The vast majority of Venezuelans, in all our diversity, want to live in peace,” he asserted. “We want to walk the streets without fear, go out to work every day, we want to revive our economy and produce all the oil and gas we can.”Rodríguez explained that if there is a consensus on building a productive economy and a democracy where everyone feels involved, then the only thing stopping progress is the collective will of certain opposition groups. He urged the public not to allow “small minorities” with cries of hatred and racism to impose violence as a method of governance.80% of Venezuelans Favor Negotiation Over Confrontation, Says Peace Program’s GarcésSincere discussion for the good of the countryThe minister questioned whether what has been achieved so far in economic recovery is sufficient or if “we recognize that we all still have a long way to go,” noting that the consequences of sanctions continue to affect both the public and private sectors.Rodríguez highlighted that a sincere discussion about the country’s situation must take place for the good of Venezuela, rather than for short-term political gains.He concluded by stating that all political actors must recognize their responsibility, collectively envisioning a long-term future and agreeing on minimum rules that everyone must respect. Otherwise, he warned, it will be impossible to build the social, political, economic, and religious peace necessary to develop Venezuela’s full potential. (Últimas Noticias) by María Eugenia RodríguezTranslation: Orinoco TribuneOT/JRE/AU