Venezuelans In US Protest Violence Against Opposition Members

Venezuelans in Miami and New York turned out on Monday for another series of protests to show solidarity with the student-led opposition in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, calling on the government of Nicolás Maduro to respect their right to peacefully protest. Last Wednesday, three opposition members were shot to death by gunman and 66 others arrested during a massive march calling for Maduro to step down. The demonstrations in American cities – as well as elsewhere outside of Venezuela, like the Colombian capital of Bogotá, where protestors gathered in front of their country’s embassy this weekend – came on the eve of another protest in Caracas convened by opposition leader Leopoldo López, who says he’ll emerge from hiding to lead it before turning himself in to authorities to face charges of “terrorism”.

In New York, over 1,000 people gathered in Times Square on Monday evening, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting slogans like “No queremos héroes muertos” (“We don’t want dead heroes”) and “Venezuela sí, Maduro no”, to express support for the students and to call attention to the violence committed against peaceful protestors. Much of the crowd spent long moments lying supine on the ground, some with placards aloft, in memory of the three students were died during last week’s rally in Caracas. Maria Morán, a 28-year-old from Caracas who works in human resources, told the Latin Times her family back home say they’re scared to go out.

“I want the students to be left alone to protest in peace, for the ones in prison to be let go, and for the government to listen to the opposition,” she said. “The police need to protect the citizens, not do what they’re doing. I’d like for Venezuela to be a country where you can visit again – I don’t want to visit, because I’m scared of everything that’s going on.”

Venezuela Al Día, a Miami-based Venezuelan newspaper, reported that thousands attended a protest in downtown Bayfront Park on Monday. Washington, D.C. also saw Venezuelans turning up at the embassy over the weekend in a similar demonstration.