On August 17, in dozens of cities across the world, people’s movements, left parties and trade unions, participated in an international day of action in solidarity with Venezuela, facing right-wing coup attempts and attacks on its electoral process following the victory of sitting president Nicolás Maduro. The day of action is part of a solidarity campaign “Defend democracy and sovereignty! Hands off Venezuela!” that was launched on August 9 by the International Peoples’ Assembly, ALBA Movimientos, the Simón Bolívar Institute, and the Assembly of Caribbean People.
🇻🇪 The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) Amilcar Cabral Political-Ideological Training School had an online video-conference on 10 August with Guinean students in various parts of the world expressing solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution of… pic.twitter.com/NMvUDp3mQu
— International Peoples’ Assembly (@peoplesassembl_) August 17, 2024
In Guinea-Bissau, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held a conference on August 10, in which Guinean students expressed their solidarity with Venezuela.
In Seoul, South Korea, activists mobilize on the International Day of Action “Defend Democracy and Sovereignty”—#HandsOffVenezuela. They call for international respect for the results of the July 28th presidential elections and oppose U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
— International Peoples’ Assembly (@peoplesassembl_) August 17, 2024
In several countries, people’s movements paid visits to the embassies of Venezuela in their cities to show their support for the Bolivarian Revolution and its democracy. During the destabilization and coup attempts in 2019, Venezuela’s embassies were under attack by far-right opposition activists who in some cases were aided by the local governments to take control of the installations, as in Washington DC, in complete violation of the Vienna Convention. Organizations in Vigo, Galicia; in Pretoria, South Africa; in Luanda, Angola; in Oslo, Norway; in Serbia, Egypt, Mali, and Senegal organized solidarity meetings at their respective Venezuelan embassies.
In Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the League of Young Peasants of the DRC (Ljp-RDC) held up signs with the slogan “Hands off Venezuela!” In Seoul, South Korea, activists held up a banner that read “No world war provocations! Down with U.S. imperialism!” In Rome, Italy, activists held a banner with slogans in support of Maduro and “the Chavista masses”.
The people of Mali mobilize in solidarity with Venezuela on this International Day of Action in defense of popular democracy and sovereignty, and in rejection of fascism and U.S. intervention in Venezuela. #HandsOffVenezuela
📷@EmbaVEMali pic.twitter.com/rRK2wmngfQ— International Peoples’ Assembly (@peoplesassembl_) August 17, 2024
Activists also held solidarity actions throughout the United States, which has openly called for regime change following Maduro’s victory, in line with its role in orchestrating undemocratic coups in Latin America throughout the past century. On August 9, U.S.-based activists were already mobilizing outside of the New York Times building in New York City, denouncing the so-called paper of record for manufacturing consent for regime change in Venezuela. On August 17, activists in New York City organized a rally at the headquarters of Fox News, and in Boston members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) protested outside of the Boston Globe headquarters in Boston. In San Francisco, activists from the PSL also protested outside the headquarters of the social media giant owned by billionaire Elon Musk, X, to condemn his role in fueling the campaign of hate and misinformation on social media.
August 17 was also a day of mobilization within Venezuela, both the right-wing opposition and chavismo mobilized in Caracas and other cities to showcase the popular support. However, the much expected “Great World Protest For The Truth” presided over by María Corina Machado, was unable to mobilize more than a couple thousand people. Internationally, the right-wing international day of action drew crowds in Madrid, Santiago, Miami, and New York City.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands took over the center of Caracas in a mass march led by Nicolás Maduro and the distinct social and political movements and organizations part of chavismo.