Chicago Free Alex Saab Committee contingent participating in the Puerto Rican People's Parade in Chicago, Saturday, June 11, 2022. Photos: Chicago Free Alex Saab Committee.
Caracas, June 14, 2022 (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Saturday, June 11, during the traditional Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in the densely populated Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago, a contingent of demonstrators demanded freedom for Alex Saab, the Venezuelan diplomat imprisoned in the US.
A group of US activists participated in the contingent, united by their opposition to attacks on Venezuela’s sovereignty by the US government, and in the demand for the freedom of political prisoner Alex Saab. The Venezuelan diplomat was abducted at the request of the US government on June 12, 2020, for trying to meet with representatives from other countries, particularly Iran, in order to procure food, oil, and medicines for Venezuelans suffering under the illegal US blockade. The participation of the contingent representing Alex Saab was facilitated by parade organizers Oscar López Rivera and Alejandro Molina of the Boricua Human Rights Network, based in Chicago.
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Members of the Chicago Free Alex Saab Committee distributed leaflets about the case containing a statement by Oscar López Rivera on this case, in English and Spanish.
The contingent marched below a banner which said “Free Alex Saab, Venezuelan diplomat kidnapped and imprisoned by the US government,” and several demonstrators also carried Free Alex Saab placards. The banner was one of the first in the parade and was likely seen by anyone watching the parade.
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Puerto Rican independence activist Oscar López Rivera, frequently referred to as the longest-held political prisoner in the world, is 79 years old and spent 36 years in US prisons. Despite his age, López Rivera marched the entire parade route. In addition to his defense of the national rights of Puerto Rico, López Rivera has consistently voiced his support for the Venezuelan people’s struggle for self-determination.
In addition to the Free Alex Saab Committee, participants in the parade included members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Chicago Committee Against War and Racism, the Chicago Antiwar Coalition, the Center for Political Innovation, Emma Lozano’s Lincoln United Methodist Church, and Southsiders for Peace.
This was the third and most productive outreach event organized by the Chicago Free Alex Saab Committee, and the organizers were very enthusiastic regarding the outcome of the activity, aimed at raising awareness about Alex Saab’s case among ordinary US citizens and residents.
Special by Orinoco Tribune staff
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