Caracas:
Thousands of supporters of Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro marched through the streets of Caracas on Tuesday, demanding his release one month after he was ousted in a deadly US military operation and taken to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in New York.
Chanting “Venezuela needs Nicolas,” demonstrators gathered to mark one month since Maduro’s dramatic removal, an event that has plunged the crisis-hit nation into political uncertainty.
Show of Strength by Chavista Loyalists
The march, organised by the government, stretched several hundred metres through the capital and was accompanied by trucks blasting music. Many demonstrators—largely public sector employees—carried photographs of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who was also detained during the US raid.
Protesters waved Venezuelan flags and wore the red colours of the ruling Chavista movement, named after Maduro’s socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez.
“These people are not American,” said Maduro’s son, Nicolas ‘Nicolasito’ Maduro Guerra, a deputy in Venezuela’s National Assembly.
“We have achieved a profound anti-imperialist consciousness.”
Delcy Rodriguez Walks Political Tightrope
Since Maduro’s removal, Interim President Delcy Rodriguez—formerly Maduro’s vice president—has been attempting to balance competing pressures: maintaining support from Washington while managing loyalty from Maduro allies within the government and among the public.
“We feel confused, sad, angry. There are a lot of emotions,” said Jose Perdomo, a 58-year-old municipal employee attending the rally.
“But we support the decisions taken by our interim president, Delcy Rodriguez. Sooner or later they will have to free our president.”
US Signals Conditional Cooperation
US President Donald Trump has said Washington is willing to work with Rodriguez, provided her administration aligns with US demands—particularly opening access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Under mounting pressure, Rodriguez’s government has begun releasing political prisoners and has moved to open Venezuela’s nationalised hydrocarbons sector to private investment. The two countries have also restored diplomatic ties that were severed in 2019 after Maduro was accused of rigging his first re-election.
US envoy Laura Dogu arrived in Caracas on Saturday. In a video released Tuesday, she outlined a three-phase plan for Venezuela, culminating in what she described as “a friendly, stable, prosperous and democratic Venezuela.”
Parallel Protests Demand Amnesty
Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of university students and relatives of political prisoners staged a separate march in Caracas, urging swift approval of an amnesty law promised by Rodriguez.
The bill has yet to be debated in parliament, which is led by the interim president’s brother, Jorge Rodriguez, another prominent Chavista and former Maduro ally.
Opposition lawmaker Stalin Gonzalez told AFP that the first parliamentary debate on the amnesty could take place on Thursday.
“I hope that the amnesty opens the door to reconciliation, coexistence, peace and democracy,” Gonzalez said.
Opposition Pushes for New Elections
Anti-government protests had been largely absent following the harsh crackdown on demonstrations after Maduro’s disputed re-election bid in 2024, during which more than 2,000 people were jailed.
During Tuesday’s opposition march, demonstrators chanted:
“Freedom is in the streets and no one can stop it!”
The Venezuelan opposition continues to call for fresh national elections following Maduro’s ouster.