Some demonstrators celebrated the Venezuelan president’s detention while others spoke out against US imperialism
Dozens of demonstrators of various stripes gathered outside the federal courthouse in freezing temperatures in New York on Monday to express their views on the US criminal charges against Venezuela’s forcibly removed president, Nicolás Maduro.
As Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges related to international drug trafficking and weapons charges inside the heavily secured court, Alejandro Flores joined other Venezuelans outside in chants that celebrated the detention of the Latin American dictator since the early hours of Saturday.
Flores, a 34-year-old from Caracas, said he was lucky enough to migrate to the US to pursue an education more than a decade ago, but left behind relatives who struggled economically. Some of them live today in buildings affected by the US attack that ultimately led to Maduro’s capture and extraction from Venezuela by US military force, Flores said.
“The fact that Maduro is in court means justice is being served. He is the reason Venezuela saw millions of people leaving their country, looking for something to eat,” said Flores, who now lives in Brooklyn.
