Venezuelan expats protest in Spain, Australia

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Citizens of Venezuela on Wednesday took to the streets in Spain and Australia against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The protests were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia; and eastern Alicante province of Spain.

"We have to fight together. We must give support to our friends in Venezuela, to families and to all those who are working there,” a protester in Melbourne can be heard as saying in a video shared by EVTV Miami on Twitter.

"We will return to our country and we will raise it. We are speaking to you from Melbourne. We want to tell you, Caracas, that we are going to put you in better conditions than Melbourne and Paris. Viva Venezuela!," he said.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10 when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

A grand protest by the opposition-led National Assembly will be held at 7.30 p.m. local time (0400 GMT) calling for free and fair elections.

On Monday, 27 soldiers calling for an uprising against the government were arrested in the country.

Venezuelan protesters on Tuesday burned a statue of former President Hugo Chavez as anti-government protests continue.

Maduro is known for carrying the legacy of Chavez in Venezuelan politics.