In Venezuela, demonstrations against the government have resurfaced, a development rarely seen in recent years. Students have called for widespread public mobilization, following the presidential elections of 2024. Previous protests have been met with forceful suppression, a pattern continuing in recent years.
Opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado has voiced her support for the demonstrators on social media, stating, “It’s wonderful to see young people, who have never known democracy, making their voices heard.”
Renewed Delays in Legislative Action
Yesterday, parliamentary discussion of the proposed amnesty law was postponed for the second time, without clear explanation.
Peaceful protests have occurred in over thirty locations across the country, demanding the release of all political prisoners, including human rights activists, opposition members and journalists. Demonstrators chanted, “They are innocent, they are not criminals.”
A Shift in Dynamics
The resurgence of public demonstration marks a significant shift. For years, dissent has been systematically suppressed by the regime. The United Nations reported late last year that the military plays a central role in serious human rights violations, including lethal violence, torture, and rape.
The UN also believes that military forces have targeted protestors. In recent years, hundreds of people are estimated to have been killed and thousands imprisoned during protests.
Amnesty and International Engagement
With the delay of the amnesty law, Venezuelans remain in a state of uncertainty. Family members of prisoners have established tent encampments outside prisons in the capital, Caracas, maintaining a constant vigil for their release.
The postponement feels like a game being played with their lives:
Outspoken release of prisoners delayed: families react emotionally
The United States has increased its presence in the country, both diplomatically and through increased scrutiny. A new chargé d’affaires arrived recently, and interim leader Rodríguez received U.S. Energy Minister Chris Wright yesterday. Wright stated in an interview with NBC that Venezuelans are “in the driver’s seat,” but that the U.S. Has “significant influence.”
Rodríguez also appeared in an interview, reiterating that she still considers Maduro the legitimate president, and that he and his wife are innocent.
In response to the student protests, the regime called on its supporters to take to the streets. Reliable figures on the number of participants in these rallies are unavailable. Attendees at the so-called Chavista manifestations, named after Maduro’s predecessor, are often rewarded, including with food packages.
The United States’ increased involvement, coupled with the slow pace of reform, suggests a complex and evolving situation in Venezuela.
