On February 3rd, the People’s Democracy Party (PDP) held its first party speech rally in front of the US Embassy under the slogan, “Free the Anti-Imperialist People’s Leader Maduro! Down with Imperialism!” Participants vigorously shouted slogans such as “FREE MADURO!”, “¡MADURO LIBRE!”, “¡No pasarán! (They shall not pass!)”, and “Victoria Siempre! Venceremos! (Always toward victory! We shall overcome!)”
The representative of the PDP emphasized, “We still vividly remember the shocking and devastating news of that day. About 150 aircraft and Delta Force operators were mobilized, causing explosions at the Ministry of Defense and military airfield fortresses. A total of 100 people, including President Nicolás Maduro’s security team, were killed, and the President and the First Lady were illegally arrested and abducted to the USA. The US Department of Justice removed from the indictment the allegation that Nicolás Maduro led the “Cartel of the Suns” criminal organization—a claim Trump had pushed for months. This proves that even the USA admits Nicolás Maduro and Venezuela have no connection to drugs, and the entire war waged by the USA lacks any justification.”
The representative continued, “The US must release President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady immediately. Extensive protests condemning the invasion have broken out in major cities across Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, the UK, and the USA, involving various political parties and organizations. In particular, more than 80 protests took place in cities throughout the USA, with voices erupting to denounce the invasion of Venezuela and the acts of terrorism against a sovereign nation.” She further stressed, “Do you want to call President Maduro a dictator? He is the leader of a people’s government who prioritizes the interests of the Venezuelan people above all else. For the past 25 years since Chavez took power, Venezuela has been a country that implemented policies putting people’s welfare at the forefront despite difficult circumstances.”
In conclusion, he stated, “To escape the political and economic crisis of the US, Donald Trump is waging a global tariff war and showing his ambition to turn the Western Hemisphere into a “backyard” of the USA under “New-Monroeism.” The USA’s “New-Monroeism” will not be an escape from the crisis, but a fatal mistake that accelerates it. The division of imperialism will quicken, and the anti-imperialist front will unite further. Nicolás Maduro, the leader of the Venezuelan people and an anti-imperialist fighter, will surely return to the embrace of his people.”
The Chairperson of the Anti-US and Anti-War Special Committee of the PDP stated, “Acting President Rodriguez firmly rejected the US interference in internal affairs before the workers, declaring, ‘Enough with Washington’s orders to rule over Venezuelan politicians,’ and ‘The political issues of Venezuela must be left to us to resolve our own internal conflicts and differences.’ As Venezuela refuses to be the ‘backyard’ of the US imperialism and steadfastly follows the path of anti-imperialist independence and people’s democracy, the ‘Republic of Korea (ROK)’ and Venezuela are no different; we share the same destiny on the anti-imperialist and anti-US front.”
The Chairperson continued, “Wherever people suffer under imperialist oppression and wherever imperialist aggression is most severe, that is the front line of the anti-imperialist and anti-US struggle. Although the US imperialism is struggling desperately to maximize its interests by shifting its center of hegemony to the Western Hemisphere, it still refuses to let go of its military, political, and economic hegemony in both Europe and Asia. While claiming it will stop the wars in Ukraine and West Asia, it continues to threaten Iran with interference and military strikes, and its hostile policies toward the DPRK, China, and Russia remain unchanged. The power to put the brakes on imperialist ambition lies in our will for independence and the spirit of people’s democracy. For the day of independence, democracy, peace, and reunification of the ‘ROK’ we will further strengthen our anti-imperialist and anti-US solidarity with the people of Venezuela.”
Finally, the participants sang “The International.”
