Miami activists say ‘Hands off Venezuela!’ in front of U.S. Southern Command
Doral, FL – On Wednesday, December 10, activists stood across from United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) protesting the escalation of attacks against Venezuela. About a dozen activists came to the protest at 2:30 p.m. to demand that the airstrikes stop, the warships are brought back home, and that the government restore Temporary Protected Status protections for Venezuelans.
The protesters held a banner reading “Peace with Venezuela” and signs calling for drivers by to honk in support of Venezuela. One of the protestors, Elizaveta Vlasov, spoke about the police presence at the protest. “The cops outnumbered us two to one, easily. They also prevented us from parking at a nearby public park, despite hundreds of spots being available. Clearly, the cops are trying to create friction when it comes to people opposing foreign intervention.”
The police were initially blocking with an SUB the “Peace with Venezuela” banner from being seen by drivers on the road. “We just kept moving back and forth until the banner was in view again. Then the cop would drive forward or reverse to block it again. We played this game of cat and mouse multiple times until they gave up,” said Vlasov. “They were totally wasting their time and taxpayer money policing our protest, it makes no sense. On the upside, a bunch of cop cars and flashing lights attracts people’s attention. They inadvertently helped us get our message out there.”
The protest concluded at 5 p.m., with activists determined to continue the fight. Vlasov stated, “We know this is only the beginning. We have to keep going, especially since we have SOUTHCOM in our backyard. We are intent on making our voices heard and demanding the government listens to the people, we do not want war with Venezuela! Bring the warships back! Restore TPS protections!”
The U.S. government has been conducting airstrikes on Venezuelan boats since early September, with 87 people killed so far. This includes a vessel that was struck twice, ensuring the deaths of two survivors of the initial strike. Officials and family members of the victims have requested an investigation into war crimes and human rights violations.