Decorah, IA rallies against U.S. War on Venezuela
Decorah, IA – On January 4, 40 people rallied in Decorah, a small town in northeast Iowa, to demand no war on Venezuela. Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights (DCIR) and Iowa 50501 organized the protest after reports that Washington bombed Caracas and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores early morning on January 3.
Protesters lined the sidewalks of Water Street Park with signs like, “Stop U.S. war on Venezuela,” “U.S. out of Latin America” and “End U.S. imperialism!” while chanting “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil. Hands off Venezuelan soil!” and “When Venezuela is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”
Speakers echoed these condemnations. Joshua Ratel-Khan, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told the crowd, “We are here to say no to U.S. imperialism in Venezuela and no blood for oil.”
Dave Bushaw, an independent congressional candidate, added, “We’ve seen this playbook for 20 years. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. Different country, same result: chaos abroad, working Americans paying the price, and a handful of powerful interests walking away richer.”
A speaker from Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights, Gabriel Eide, stated, “The United States has a long history of destabilizing countries of Central and South America and then criminalizing the refugees who seek asylum in this country.” Eide went on to say, “Republicans and Democrats alike have failed to address the crisis in our country. We the people will check Donald Trump. We the people demand an end to the violence inflicted on our immigrant neighbors. We the people are powerful beyond our wildest imaginations.”
Organizers shared that they will continue to hold further actions against the Trump administration and encouraged attendees to get involved in Decorah Community for Immigrant Rights and Iowa 50501. Decorah made it clear that they do not support U.S. intervention in Venezuela and demand an end to U.S. imperialism.