On January 21, a screening of Nicolás Part 2 was held near Hongik University in Seoul, hosted by 21st Century Che Guevara (Defense Brigade).
Before the film began, people’s singer Song Hee-tae sang the song “The People United Will Never Be Defeated.”
In an introduction to the film, a member of 21st Century Che Guevara stated, “Nicolás Part 2, From Yare to Miraflores, depicts the process by which the movement to establish a people’s government, which began in earnest in Yare Prison, comes to fruition with the advance into Miraflores, the presidential palace. The film contains the political and economic situation of the world and of Venezuela as part of it, from the end of World War 2 through the Cold War period, as well as the struggles and victories of the people.”
She continued, “In the 1970s and 1980s, Latin America was a time when anti-US and anti-fascist forces were repressed and eliminated through operations such as ‘Operation Condor’ led by the US CIA. At the time, the Venezuelan government was severely dependent on foreign powers both politically and economically, and public anger exploded in the Caracazo uprising on February 27, 1989. Commander Chávez and revolutionary soldiers launched an armed uprising on February 4, 1992. Although the first uprising failed, they eventually won the 1998 presidential election with the support of the people. In 1999, the present ‘Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,’ embodying the spirit of Simón Bolívar, the liberator of South America, was born.”
They also emphasized, “Chávez is Maduro, and Maduro is Chávez, and both are the Venezuelan people. Although this film’s protagonist is Maduro, it can also be seen as a film whose protagonist is the Venezuelan people united as one with Maduro. We recommend watching it while reflecting on the existence of the United States, which still exerts influence all over the world, and the struggles of the world’s peoples who are resisting it.”
Before and after the screening, participants chanted “FREE MADURO!”, “Release Maduro!”, and “¡Victoria Siempre! ¡Venceremos! (Until the day of victory, always, we shall overcome!)” to express their solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
