Syndicalists and workers rallied on Thursday in front of the US embassy in Venezuela, calling for new elections and salary increases, over three months after President Nicolas Maduro was captured by the US army on January 3rd.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez governs under American pressure, especially from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed responsibility for Venezuela and its oil sales.
A handful of protesters made their way to the US embassy, located in an affluent neighborhood of the capital. The diplomatic mission resumed its activities with the restoration of relations between Washington and Caracas after seven years of rupture.
Their demands: salary increases, release of political prisoners, and the organization of free elections.
“At the moment, the Venezuelan government is under the control of North Americans. So we will speak with the North Americans to get a response to our demands,” said 70-year-old unionist Laura Rada.
“We want to thank the American government for giving us some breathing room, but they need to finish the job,” said unionist Victor Pereira, a local embassy employee.
“We urgently need elections,” said Carlos Salazar, coordinator of a trade union coalition to AFP.
“Venezuela is currently under the control of the United States. It’s as simple as that,” said 62-year-old retired Adriana Farnetano, holding a small American flag and wrapped in the national tricolor flag.
However, she complained, “There is the oil business and all that, but currently we don’t see any of it. We don’t see any oil, gold, or anything.”
With flags from Venezuela and the United States, around 200 people had gathered on a square located a few kilometers from the embassy in support of the demands.
Protests had become rare in the country after the repression during Maduro’s controversial re-election on July 28, 2024. Since his capture, protests have resumed.
Published on April 16 at 8:59 PM by AFP.
