During an interview with Al Mayadeen on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro highlighted the gradual recovery of the Venezuelan economy amid the U.S. sanctions against his country.

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"2021 has been the year of economic recovery since the economic war began... Despite the U.S. criminal sanctions, the production of food, goods, and services grows. Domestic industries and trade also increase, which has a great impact on the People," he said.

"We have resisted with balance and firmness. Based on collective work, we are stimulating all the activities that are fundamental for the development of the real sector of the economy."

President Maduro reiterated that Venezuelan history is synonymous with liberation and resistance in the face of colonial attacks because "without the people we would be nothing. We embody the moral forces... I listened to many conversations between Fidel and Chavez in which Fidel said that one should fight in any circumstance and until the last second to cultivate social victories, which belong to the people. "

Intensified Attacks Against Venezuela

The Bolivarian leader recalled that former President Donald Trump and Elliott Abrams urged him to betray the Bolivarian project and people on several occasions. Abrams "called my wife to divorce me. Then he told me to resign and choose a country to live in, that is, he tried to get me to betray the People, but he crashed with Bolivarian morality."

"They wanted me to betray the people and the legacy of Chavez. They wanted me to hand over Venezuela to imperialism... They tried to put a wimp like Juan Guaido as supposed president. Currently, he is in the shadows and loneliness of his failure. Imperialism believed Venezuela was its colony and it could put a president on it... but the People stood up and prevented the passage of its wimp."

The Venezuelan president also recalled that the United States and its allies have tried to ignore the legitimacy of his administration in the United Nations but "every time we defeat them with the support of the vast majority of the UN countries."

Maduro asserted that the Venezuelan nation has counted on the solidarity of several countries and social movements because "we had great good surprises, the courage of many in the world, resistance and solidarity movements, governments and heads of State who sent us support, sometimes privately to guard against the reprisals of imperialism."

"I was not surprised by the governments that attacked us because we knew where the traitors were. They played their role. For example, Lenin Moreno and Mauricio Macri (who is now prosecuted for corrupt), they had what they deserved."

Internal Strengthening Against Imperial Attacks

Besides highlighting the resistance of the Venezuelan people, Maduro praised the loyalty of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), which had a doctrinal, strategic, and moral re-foundation after the 1999 Constituent Assembly.

"Commander Chavez, who had a solid military formation, re-founded the Armed Forces... He replaced the old doctrine of national security of the Empire with the new doctrine of Popular Resistance, which highlights the history of our country's heroes."

President Maduro recalled that the FANB is deployed throughout the territory through "eight integral defense regions," where the Army, the Navy, the Aviation, the Bolivarian National Guard, and the Militias are present.

“Today we have independent and sovereign Armed Forces and 4.5 million militiamen who express the civic-military alliance. Therefore, they are the backbone of the revolution, the functioning of democracy, and the existence of the Republic," he said.

Maduro stressed that the Bolivarian Armed Forces have not submitted to any foreign power despite the fact that "Imperialism spends millions of dollars trying to co-opt the military and police in all countries, offering them courses to become its agents within their countries. Through the influence of the domestic armed forces, the Empire generates coups d'état as happened in Bolivia, Honduras, Paraguay, and Chile."

Besides highlighting the internal cohesion in the Bolivarian armed forces, Maduro praised the Venezuelan democratic system whose last sub-national elections had the presence of more than 300 international observers.

"We are a real political force whose leadership is permanently renewed... In an election where all political forces participated, we won 228 out of 235 mayoralties and 21 out of 24 federal territories. In Caracas, we won the mayoralty with 60 percent of the votes."

After the overwhelming electoral victory in November, Maduro reiterated that the Chavista forces are constantly perfecting their public policy proposals since "a new experience emerges from each victory. The secret to building a revolution is a lot of self-criticism, renewal of plans, and preparation for sacrifice and work," he said.

"Now we have great challenges and commitments to meet. We always review, evaluate and plan for the future... We recently had a strategic planning workshop with all the victorious candidates and, before the end of the year, we will have an action plan for 2022, 2023, and 2024."

Solidarity With Palestine, Iran, and Syria

"No one in this world would dare ask us to abandon Palestine. We would not accept it. It would be a sin just to listen to it and think of abandoning and leaving Palestine alone, the sacred land of humanity, the holy people of three prophets ... Palestine It is great and monumental," Maduro said and rejected the permanent violation of Palestinian rights.

"The crimes against Palestine will be paid one day. Palestine has all the support of Venezuela and my own. We love Palestine and all its forces. We have very good relations and cooperation agreements with the Palestinian government," he stressed.

"I call on the rulers of the world, the Arabs and Muslims, not to leave Palestine alone, a country that deserves our support, a people that screams for help... Every day, Palestine suffers crimes and murders of young people. It happens nowhere, "the Bolivarian leader said.

Maduro also stressed that relations between Venezuela and Iran are getting stronger every day and that he will travel to Tehran to meet President Raisi and accelerate the cooperation processes.

"I had the fortune to meet Major General Soleimani with whom he spoke when Venezuela was going through a crisis due to attacks on the electrical system. Soleimani faced terrorism, he was a brave man," the Bolivarian leader recalled.

Maduro referred to the good relations that the Venezuelan nation maintains with other Middle Eastern countries, including Syria.

"The Syrian president is brave and a hero. In Venezuela we have a large community of Syrian descendants and several clubs where all Syrian cultural festivities are celebrated. As he was foreign minister, I accompanied Commander Chavez many times to Syria, where we visited many towns," recalled President Maduro.

Venezuela and the Arab Countries

Venezuela has belonged to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for more than 60 years, a period in which this South American nation has maintained good cultural, diplomatic and commercial relations with the Arab countries.

“Come invest in Venezuela, the country of opportunities. We provide full legal guarantees for investments in activities related to oil, gas, petrochemicals, steel, tourism, gold, diamonds, iron, and aluminum."

Since Venezuela will assume the presidency of the Forum of Arab Countries and South America in 2022, the Bolivarian government will reactivate the mechanisms of financial, monetary and commercial cooperation with the Arab nations.