Street protests erupt in Venezuela 1 month after Maduro’s capture

​​​​​​​By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - One month after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, the streets of the capital Caracas became a flashpoint Tuesday for opposing political visions.

Pro-government and anti-government factions held simultaneous demonstrations, as the nation navigates a volatile transition under Acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Supporters of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) marched through the capital to demand the return of the incarcerated former leader. Organized by PSUV Secretary General Diosdado Cabello and street mobilization chief Nahum Fernandez, the pro- government protesters gathered early Tuesday to voice their defiance.

“We will protest with conviction that justice will prevail,” said Fernandez, reaffirming that the movement would remain in the streets to offer “absolute support” to the government. Despite demands for Maduro’s return, the leadership emphasized their loyalty to Rodriguez, who assumed the presidency Jan. 5, to maintain stability “in any scenario.”

Other sectors of the protest called for comprehensive reparations for victims of state-sponsored violence. The protesters demanded justice through the accountability of high-ranking officials involved in past abuses and that human rights violations would never occur again.

Maduro remains in a US federal prison as his legal proceedings continue in New York. The deposed leader faces four major charges: conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess the illegal weapons.

Rodriguez has, since assuming power, introduced a General Amnesty Law, which aims to release hundreds of political prisoners held since 1999, and the immediate closure of the infamous El Helicoide prison.

Long denounced by international observers as a notorious torture center, the massive facility is slated to be repurposed into a sports, cultural and social center for the surrounding Caracas neighborhoods.