Venezuelans Gather Inside and Outside the Country for the Freedom of Political Prisoners

The concentration called by María Corina Machado for this Sunday, May 3, began inside Venezuela in churches, where Venezuelans clamor for the freedom of the 500 political prisoners who remain in various prisons. In the case of Zulia state, the Vente Venezuela party showed images on social networks of leaders gathered in Calle 68A of Maracaibo, as well as in San Francisco, in Plaza Luis Hómez. Similarly, in different cities of Venezuela, meetings are called in public spaces, including a new prayer vigil in front of El Helicoide, in Caracas, at 5:00 PM this Sunday. Internationally, Venezuelans gathered in squares in Geneva, Barcelona, Berlin, Aveiro, Paris, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Montreal, Miami, and other cities around the world under the demand for 'elections now' and full release for those detained for political reasons. 'It's not just a number: they are stories, families, lives on pause. And although they are far from home, the commitment remains intact: not to forget, not to be silent, not to surrender. Because freedom is not negotiated, it is defended,' Vente Venezuela wrote on social media. This Saturday, María Corina Machado called for a concentration in more than 120 cities worldwide, including Caracas, in support of political prisoners and 'persecuted' individuals in Venezuela. 'They and their families need our voice, they need our strength, and that is why we will raise our voice this Sunday, May 3, so that the whole world hears the clamor for freedom, for justice, for democracy, which we raise today from Venezuela,' Machado stressed in a video published on her social media this Saturday. The opposition leader has been outside Venezuela since last December, when she left to receive the Nobel Peace Prize medal in Norway after spending a year in hiding to avoid arrest by the authorities, who accused her of being violent and calling for a military invasion. According to the NGO Foro Penal, there are 454 political prisoners in Venezuela, including 41 foreigners or those with dual nationality, while a law of amnesty limited to certain crimes and specific time periods remains in force in the country.