Thousands of Venezuelans, sympathizers attend rally in Miami demanding Maduro step down
Many came to the United States to escape the violence, hunger and lack of freedom, experiencing firsthand the consequences of the asphyxiating rule of Nicolás Maduro, while fearing deep down that the socialist Venezuelan regime had become permanent after being in power for more than 25 years.
But on Saturday, standing in Miami’s Bayfront Park surrounded by thousands of their compatriots, many of them said they couldn’t help but feel hope, believing that finally there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“For the first time in 25 years we feel that we are close,” said Carolina Sandoval, one of the Venezuelan personalities participating in the rally, organized to express support for their countrymen protesting at home against the alleged election fraud committed last month by the regime. “This time it is different.”
Thousands of Venezuelans living in South Florida gathered at the park Saturday afternoon, joining thousands more of their countrymen converging in 300 cities around the planet, all seeking to let the world know that they won’t stop protesting until Maduro is removed from power in their homeland.
The worldwide event, organized by opposition leader María Corina Machado, was also held in major Venezuelan cities at significant personal risk, as the Maduro regime continues to hunt down opposition leaders amid what is seen as the greatest challenge to his rule since he ascended to the presidency in 2013.
More than 5,000 people were at Bayfront Park as of 4 p.m. , a City of Miami police officer told the Miami Herald, but the event ran late as more people attempted to get in. The number grew as the afternoon progressed. By then the police department issued a warning to those thinking about heading to the event. “The Venezuelan rally being held at Bayfront Park is at capacity. Avoid the area,” it said through the department’s X account. By early evening, the police count had risen to about 8,000.
While the air was mostly festive, with people carrying Venezuelan flags and signs asking for freedom, some of the messages carried more serious undertones.
“What we want is for Maduro to go to prison for genocide,” said rally-goer José Jimenez, who was wearing a mask in the shape of a donkey and an orange jacket resembling prison overalls. Hanging from his neck was a mugshot type rendering reading “N. Maduro, crime: Genocide.”
“We are fed up,” Jimenez said, “We are not going to tolerate Maduro’s effort to remain in power perpetually.”
The opposition, as well as a growing number of countries, believe that Edmundo González. a former ambassador to Argentina, was the real winner of the July 28th presidential election, accusing the Venezuelan strongman of attempting to steal the vote.
There were calls for the international community to increase its pressure on the regime from such faraway places as Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand and Australia, while massive gatherings were scheduled in major Latin American cities, as well as in the United States.
Protests against the regime escalated right after the government-controlled National Electoral Council said Maduro had won with nearly 52% of the vote.
The opposition, which has made a credible case showing that Gonzalez won by publishing the official results of 80% of voting stations, has been warning Latin American leaders that it is in their best interest to intervene quickly to help put an end to the crisis, given the risk of another massive wave of Venezuelan refugees fleeing for neighboring countries, and eventually the U.S., if Maduro remains in power.
Gatherings were organized Saturday inside Venezuela, despite the regime’s latest wave of repression, which has led to the deaths of 25 people, injured dozens more and landed more than 2,000 in prison. The crackdown has recently taken a more violent turn, with the regime’s use of armed paramilitary groups witnesses say have opened fire at demonstrators without justification.
Speaking on top of a truck at the Caracas rally, Machado said that Venezuelans face “the greatest civic feat in the country’s history” and celebrated the success the democratic movement managed to achieve while proving to the world that González defeated Maduro by a margin of more than 2-1.
“They thought that, by persecuting our witnesses, we were not going to get our records [of the official election tallies] and in 24 hours we had the records digitized,” Machado said during a demonstration in Caracas that also drew thousands of people.
“Let the world and everyone within Venezuela recognize that the president-elect is Edmundo González Urrutia,” she added.
In South Florida, thousands gathered at Bayfront Park in an event organized by leaders of the Venezuelan and the Cuban-American community, with the help of city officials. Well known artists performed at the event, mainly songs related to Venezuela’s efforts to recover its democracy.
Artists who participated in the event included Willy Chirino, Arturo Sandoval, Amaury Gutiérrez, Danny Ocean, C4 Trio and Lena Burke, but organizer María Teresa Morín said there was a serious undertone to the gathering. “This is not a party. All the music and all of the literature that will be heard will be a reminder of the fight for freedom in Venezuela,” she said.
Zarahy Carrera, a young Venezuelan who arrived in Miami seven years ago, said she went to the park because she wanted to show her desire to see the restoriation of freedom in her home country.
“I keep telling all Venezuelans to keep fighting, here and back home,” she said “because Venezuela belongs to us all.”
Present at the Bayfront Park rally, Angela Garcia said Venezuelans in and outside the country are fully determined to keep putting on pressure until the country’s democratic system is restored.
“We want to give worldwide support to the cause. We are claiming that we won the elections. Our sovereignty has been stolen. We are all united for a cause and we will continue until the end, until we regain freedom in Venezuela, until Maduro leaves,” she said. “After 20 years living in Miami, I have suffered the distance away from my family. Chavismo, Maduroism has destroyed our families in Venezuela and we are now scattered around the world.”
More than 7.7 million Venezuelans, amounting to about fifth of the country’s population, have been forced to flee their homeland by the regime, creating social tensions and problems in neighboring countries. The exodus has in recent years extended into the United States, where an estimated 800,000 Venezuelans now live.
Andreína went to the Miami rally with her mother, Julieta, and her Cuban husband, Cristofer. With tears in her eyes, Andreina said she was touched by the way the Venezuelan community has united and how many people from many different countries are now showing support for her people.
“The number of people gathered shows that what happened in Venezuela was a fraud,” Andreina, who declined to give her last name said. “Everyone united against this dictatorship. It’s a message for the international community. It is how we show that we are really a united people that wants to be free”.
This story was originally published August 17, 2024 at 5:44 PM.
