Venezuelans at Youth Day marches flash the peace-and-victory sign made famous by President Nicolás Maduro after his kidnapping and illegal transfer to the US, by US forces. Photo: Globovisión.
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, highlighted the resilience and spirit of international cooperation of the Venezuelans, and announced that the state will allocate resources for 400 youth-led projects nationwide. She made these announcements at a massive mobilization in Plaza Venezuela of Caracas on Thursday, February 12, the Day of Venezuelan Youth and the 212th anniversary of the Battle of La Victoria.
“We have selected 400 projects in chicken farming, rabbit farming, sewing workshops, sublimation, and other ventures,” she announced. “May these first jobs for youth serve their growth.”
She also spoke about the visit by the US Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright, noting that the US agenda with Venezuela must be based on respect and cooperation, within the framework of international laws and those of Venezuela.
The acting president highlighted the achievements of the youth of the state oil corporation Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), stating that Venezuela has been built with their effort and bravery. “Despite the criminal blockade, they have not given up,” she said.
She further highlighted Venezuela’s achievement of exporting natural gas for the first time in history, a milestone that has demonstrated “our capacity for resilience and our spirit of international cooperation.”
“I am very pleased that the diverse youth, the plural youth, can express themselves in Venezuela,” she said in her message to the people who had mobilized for the day.
She called on all sectors, and especially the working-class youth, to join the Peace and Democratic Coexistence Program and to continue safeguarding the peace of the nation.
There Will Be No Presidential Elections in Venezuela Until 2031
Diosdado Cabello highlights youth contribution in the Bolivarian project
Addressing the mobilization, the minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, emphasized that “it is the youth who will carry the flags of the homeland to their ultimate victory.”
Honoring the historical and contemporary role of Venezuelan youth in the Bolivarian Revolution, he emphasized the contrast between the current government and the “Fourth Republic,” during which thousands of young people were killed and persecuted and 11,300 people were disappeared by the two-party system of the time. “There are those who want us to forget, but our youth is very clear that we cannot forget.”
In contrast, Cabello highlighted that thanks to the Bolivarian Revolution, more than 100 universities have been opened in Venezuela for young people to study, including UNEFA, the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, and the University of the Arts, to ensure rights previously denied to the population.
He asserted that true free and quality education only began with the arrival of the Bolivarian Revolution. He criticized the 1961 Constitution, labeling its promises of free education as “nonsense.”
The minister also spoke about the Amnesty Law that is currently undergoing a national consultation and the second discussion at the National Assembly. He took a firm stance against tweaks proposed by far-right politicians to the law, arguing that that such a law cannot be used to liberate those involved in corruption, drug trafficking, or murder.
“The Amnesty Law has conditions, limits, and principles,” Cabello stated. He further defended the Law Against Hatred and similar existing legal mechanisms that the right wants to get rid of.
Call for the return of President Maduro
A central theme of Diosdado Cabello’s speech was the demand for the return of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, kidnapped by US imperialism despite being “innocent of anything they are accused of.” He led the attendees in a solemn oath, swearing by their honor and life to continue fighting for national sovereignty and the return of the “brother president.”
“This is the real Venezuela that the world wants to deny,” Cabello concluded, “the one that fights, works, and does not surrender after 26 years of defeating US imperialism.”
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SH
