Venezuelans march for ousted president Maduro, interim president Rodriguez under pressure – Firstpost

Thousands of supporters of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro poured onto the streets of Caracas on Tuesday, demanding the release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, a month after they were captured in a dramatic US military operation and flown to the United States to face drug-related charges.

“Venezuela needs Nicolas,” demonstrators chanted as they marched through the capital exactly one month after Maduro’s unexpected ouster.

The march—organised by the government—stretched for several hundred metres and was backed by public sector workers and supporters of the ruling “Chavista” movement, which traces its roots to the late socialist leader Hugo Chávez. Flags waved in red, and music blared from trucks as crowds expressed their emotions.

Many protesters said they were “confused, sad, angry” about the situation but affirmed their backing for interim president
Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after Maduro’s ouster.

Political tightrope and broader unrest

Rodriguez, a longtime Maduro ally, has tried to walk a delicate line between placating Maduro’s base and maintaining support from the United States. US President Donald Trump has indicated willingness to work with her, particularly on opening Venezuela’s oil reserves, as Caracas pursues economic reforms and the release of political prisoners.

Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of other Venezuelans—including university students and relatives of political detainees—also demonstrated in the capital, urging quick approval of an amnesty law promised by Rodriguez. That legislation, intended to free prisoners, has not yet been presented to parliament, whose leader is Rodriguez’s brother and another key Maduro supporter.

“I hope that the amnesty opens the door to reconciliation, coexistence, peace and democracy,” opposition lawmaker Stalin Gonzalez told AFP, as chants of “Freedom is in the streets and no one can stop it!” filled the air.