July 5 is the independence day of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Venezuela was the target of aggression and plunder by the imperialists for a long time because it has abundant underground resources including oil and natural gas.

Through a vigorous struggle against the colonialists, the Venezuelan people won independence in July 1811 and declared the founding of the republic in 1830. In December 1999, they adopted a new constitution and renamed the country the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Since then, the Venezuelan people have waged a more vigorous struggle to defend national independence and sovereignty and achieve political stability of the country.

The US and other imperialists are intensifying pressure on Venezuela which is advancing along the road of independence against imperialism, steadily expanding the range of sanctions against it.

Recently, the US took measures to restrict the issuing of visas for Venezuelans and the legal effect of the visas they have got. It is also committing such unethical outrages as branding some Venezuelan immigrants as criminals, handcuffing them and detaining them in another country.

However, Venezuela is bravely opposing the imperialists’ policy of hostility.

Last February, the Venezuelan foreign minister condemned the US secretary of state for dubbing the country an “enemy of mankind” responsible for the immigrant issue, saying the only enemy of mankind is the US which has brought chaos and poverty to the world for decades by using its war machine.

In March, the Venezuelan president appeared on TV to clarify his stand to fight against the US’ sanctions. As to Washington’s announcement that it would impose 25 percent tariff on countries purchasing oil and gas from Venezuela, he said that his country would frustrate the unilateral sanctions of the US and successfully achieve economic development, adding Venezuela has everything it needs and will never become a colony.

Venezuela is now striving to defend the sovereignty of the country and achieve social and economic development by its own efforts.

A large-scale military drill took place in the country last January.

The drill geared to checking the overall defence readiness involved 150 000 people, including soldiers, policemen and civilians, and local autonomous groups and defence guidance bodies throughout the country. As he declared the start of the drill, the president stressed that the Venezuelan people rose up for peace, sovereignty, freedom and democracy.

The country is taking positive measures for social progress and development, with the emphasis on diversifying the economy by breaking away from the economic system that relies only on oil.

It is also directing efforts to boosting cooperation with regional countries.

The Venezuelan people’s struggle for independent development is producing good results.