- The rally began in the Bolívar square in Chacao | Main photo: @ElTequeno
Citizens gathered on Wednesday, September 11, to march towards the Brazilian Embassy in Caracas and ask Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to intercede for the release of Venezuelan political prisoners in the country.
The rally began at approximately 10:00 am (local time) in Plaza Bolívar in Chacao, Miranda.
Minutes earlier, the NGO Provea had reported that police officers dressed in civilian clothes were present in different places in Plaza Bolívar in Chacao. They claimed that they were seeking to “intimidate those who were gathering to support the families of political prisoners.”
Provea also joined the call for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all political prisoners. “They are all innocent and should be freed along with their families. Defending the truth is not a crime,” added the human rights organization.
The demonstration on Wednesday, September 11, took place just days after Edmundo González left Venezuela, where he says he suffered political and judicial persecution following the elections.
“Freedom for prisoners who fight”
The mobilization advanced through the streets of Chacao to the rhythm of chants with the slogans “Freedom, freedom for those imprisoned for fighting”, “They will not take away our right to protest” and “We are activists, we are not terrorists”.
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners prepared a document addressed to President Lula da Silva, which they submitted to the Brazilian Embassy. Sairam Rivas, Andreína Baduel, Sol Ocariz and Hiowanka Ávila, relatives of political prisoners, entered the diplomatic headquarters to deliver the document.
The protesters carried banners with photographs of political prisoners and messages for the Brazilian president.
Activist Rafael Araujo, known as the kite lord, accompanied the mobilization with one of his kites dedicated to the press workers detained in the post-election context.
Diego Casanova, a spokesman for the committee, said that the diplomatic staff had promised to forward the protesters’ requests to the Brazilian president.
Mobilizations in other parts of the world
The PUD also called for mobilizations to every diplomatic headquarters of the Brazilian government in the world, inviting Venezuelan migrants to carry banners with messages in favor of political prisoners, totaling 1,793 according to Foro Penal.
Images of groups of Venezuelans who went to Brazilian embassies in other countries were circulated on social media.
In Latin America, demonstrations were held in the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Santiago de Chile (Chile). Documents addressed to Lula were delivered to the respective diplomatic missions.
Venezuelan migrants also gathered outside Brazilian embassies in Austria, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Protesters remained outside the embassies with Venezuelan flags and banners in several languages.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Monday, September 9, that despite González’s departure from Venezuela, the opposition’s agenda and strategy remain the same and will be developed with “intelligence, resilience, audacity and prudence.”
With this call, the Democratic Unitary Platform returns to the streets, two weeks after it held, on August 28, a worldwide demonstration against the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that validated Maduro’s victory, announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) based on results that have not been verified with the publication of the electoral records.
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2024-09-11 23:39:37
