Protests broke out in cities like Philadelphia and New York City following the announcement of the U.S. detainment of Nicolás Maduro, the socialist leader of Venezuela.
Video footage posted showed demonstrators chanting “No Blood For Oil.”
As reported by ABC7NY, a group gathered in Times Square, voicing their beliefs that Maduro’s arrest wasn’t about drug trafficking or democracy, but rather a ploy to seize oil and dominate Latin America.
While some Venezuelans found reason to celebrate, others were worried about relatives still in Venezuela.
Marilla Moreira, who left Venezuela during the Chávez era nearly three decades ago, expressed her joy, but Kenya Fernández, who recently moved there, said her mother felt frightened.
“She asked me not to send any videos or messages, fearing they’d be intercepted,” Fernández relayed.
In Philadelphia, reports indicated that “over 100 individuals” marched from City Hall to the U.S. Army Recruiting Center, urging Congress to “reclaim power,” according to why.org.
The demonstrators displayed signs stating “No war on Venezuela” and “End US imperialism.”
David Gibson, one of the protest organizers, emphasized that Parliament “represents the people” and insisted that citizens should determine whether or not to go to war.
Another organizer, a Venezuelan-American from Philadelphia, explained that participants shared a common belief in Venezuela’s sovereignty.
“We all gather here because we believe Venezuela deserves to be sovereign,” he stated. “This is about freeing Venezuela from American aggression and violence.”
The protests were sparked by President Trump’s announcement on Saturday that both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been “captured and deported.”
“The United States has executed a significant operation targeting Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro, along with his spouse,” Trump noted in a Truth Social post. “This operation was executed in partnership with U.S. law enforcement, and more details will be forthcoming. A press conference is scheduled at Mar-a-Lago today at 11 a.m.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Maduro and his wife “face indictments in the Southern District of New York.”
“Nicolás Maduro faces charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of a machine gun and a destructive device, as well as conspiracy to possess such weapons against the United States,” Bondi stated.
