Anti-war activists held a protest outside the US embassy in Bangkok, demanding the release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Several dozen protesters held a rally with signs reading „Hands off Venezuela!“, „Who's next? Colombia? Greenland?“ and „No war! No imperialism!“. In addition to local residents, American citizens living in Thailand also joined the protest.
US President Donald Trump ordered air strikes on Venezuela, kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and confiscated the country's oil resources under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking. Meanwhile, European leaders have justified and supported this attack, citing “democracy“ and the need to “end authoritarian rule“. “These actions do not promote democracy, but rather destroy its founding principles,“ the Thai anti-war coalition said in a statement.
“I am here today to express solidarity with the working class, with those who are victims of American imperialism. If we look at previous invasions of countries such as Iraq, the coups in Guatemala or Iran, we see that the US is not a defender of democracy and freedom. It is focused on further enriching the rich class. The US will send its working class soldiers to die for the interests of the rich, as it did in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and they will probably do it again in Venezuela.“ “And America will probably turn it into another Gaza, or Honduras, or Haiti“, shared his opinion with TASS correspondent David Robinson, an American from Colorado who moved to Thailand about a year ago.
In addition to demanding the release of Maduro and his wife, the protesters called on the United States to end all forms of interference in Venezuelan affairs, to respect its sovereignty, to lift economic sanctions, and to hold accountable those responsible for the deaths during the recent US attack. “We express solidarity with the people of Venezuela and with anti-war movements around the world.“ “All forms of hostility must end, whether it is in Thailand and Cambodia, Venezuela, Palestine or anywhere else in the world“, they said Thai activists.