World
Thousands of Venezuelans march to demand Maduro’s release
A month since he was seized in a US military operation and handed over for drug charges, thousands of supporters gathered in Caracas on Tuesday to call for the release of Nicolas Maduro.
“Venezuela needs Nicolas,” chanted the crowd. The former leader, ousted during a deadly US military intervention, continues to be held in New York.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has navigated a delicate balancing act—straddling Washington’s demands while also maintaining support from Maduro’s partisans within her government and among Venezuelan citizens.
Several marchers carried photos of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both taken into custody by US authorities. The procession stretched for several hundred meters, accompanied by trucks blasting music.
“We have achieved a profound anti-imperialist consciousness,” declared Nicolas “Nicolasito” Maduro Guerra, son of the ousted leader and deputy in Venezuela’s National Assembly.
Protesters waved Venezuelan flags in red—the color associated with the ruling “Chavista” movement named after Maduro’s socialist predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
“I feel confused, sad, and angry,” said Jose Perdomo, a 58-year-old municipal employee who also backed Rodriguez for her decisions. “We have to free our president soon.”
US envoy Laura Dogu, arriving in Caracas on Saturday, outlined three phases of a plan aimed at stabilizing Venezuela: ending the crisis, fostering stability, and promoting prosperity and democracy.
Despite strained relations previously severed over Maduro’s alleged election fraud, American and Venezuelan diplomats have since begun reestablishing dialogue.
In response to Rodriguez’s inauguration, she highlighted her commitment to an amnesty law for political prisoners, a proposed measure expected to be discussed by Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday.
“The streets are already the place of freedom,” the crowd declared. Opposition leaders continue to advocate for new elections post-Maduro’s ouster.