Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from the "balcon del pueblo" at Miraflores Palace, addressing those marching to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the ousting of former dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez, in Caracas, January 23, 2025. Photo: Presidential Press.
Venezuelans from all over the country have held mass demonstrations to commemorate the civic-military rebellion of January 23, 1958, as a part of the second day of the Bolivarian Shield 2025 Military Drills. Both the drills, which are being carried out in defense of peace and national sovereignty, and the commemoration of the anniversary of January 23, held in celebration of Venezuelan heritage, constitute a display of national mobilization in support of the instructions of the national leader and the public movement of Chavismo.
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) deputy, Pedro Infante, said that the popular mobilization, called for by President Nicolás Maduro this Thursday, January 23, “demonstrates the military-popular-police union, and that is how Venezuelans organize themselves in each locality.”
The PSUV vice president for mobilization and head of government of the Capital District, Nahúm Fernández, highlighted the value of defending peace and the nation, and emphasized the need to “continue working for our people with these practices to defend our territory and also maintain it against the hegemony of [opposition] social media platforms.”
“We have seen the deployment of everything that is organized: Communal Councils, communes, street organizers, motorcyclists, organized unions,” Nahúm Fernández said.
“All of Venezuela is on the streets protecting all of its strategic installations,” added the mayor of the Libertador municipality, AJ Carmen Meléndez. “Today we commemorate a historic January 23, and we also pay tribute to Fabricio Ojeda. Today we continue with our exercises in defense of peace.”
Venezuela Welcomes Displaced Colombians & Ensures Their Safety
President Maduro speech
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, addressed the demonstration that reached Miraflores Palace in the afternoon, reporting that Venezuela remains victorious, at peace, and more united than ever. “In these years of struggle, they have not been able to defeat this people, who are already empowered and are a conscious people,” he said, as reported by Últimas Noticias.
From the People’s Balcony in the Miraflores Palace, the president received thousands of Venezuelans who marched in commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the civil-military rebellion of January 23, 1958. He highlighted that this Thursday, the Bolivarian Shield 2025 Exercises continue as a way of remaining alert to internal and external threats. “We must be prepared to defend peace!”
The Venezuelan president emphasized the demonstration of strength and power of the homeland. “They have tried to threaten us, and I tell you from this balcony of the people, this is the balcony of Chávez, and if Maduro is here, Chávez is here with Maduro and with the people.”
“This people remembers and loves Chávez,” he continued. “I have inherited many things from Chávez: the threats, the attacks, and the aggression [against the position], but the most beautiful thing I have inherited from the struggle of my mentor Hugo Chávez is the love and the loyal support of the people. I say with him: Love is repaid with love; the love of the people has always been repaid with more love and it will always be that way.”
During his speech, President Maduro praised the success of the Bolivarian Shield 2025 Military Drills, as well as the neutralization of the criminal gang leader linked to the Venezuelan far-right opposition, Alexander Acevedo Monasterios, alias El Wilexis. Venezuelan authorities claim that the identification of the whereabouts of this gangster were the result of the analysis of a phone recently seized from far-right Venezuelan politicians, and that there are clear connections with Colombian drug trafficking cartels.
The Venezuelan president also reminded the Venezuelan people that on February 2, there will be the first National Popular Consultation of 2025, and reported that 36,000 projects have been proposed by the communities and have already been registered by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
He added that these elections will be held all across the 5,334 municipal districts of the country. This year, six popular consultations will be held, of which four are for community projects, one for youth projects, and one for cultural workers of the country.
“If you want to see a true democracy and an empowered people, look at the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which shines in the firmament of the history of the 21st century,” the president stated regarding the participatory democracy that Venezuela has.
Nadie se desconecta en esta época.
Informo que he estado conectado con el actual gobierno venezolano desde Haití y he delegado a mi ministro de defensa para hablar con su par y establecer un plan conjunto de erradicación de bandas armadas en la frontera.
Verdaderos… https://t.co/GQwFfVvHWd
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 23, 2025
Violence in Colombia
President Maduro also stated during his speech that Venezuela supports Colombia in its struggle for peace. “They will always have our full support to build a region of peace and unity.”
“From Venezuela, you will always have the full support for peace and for building a Colombia and a Venezuela of union and prosperity in the name of our Liberator Simón Bolívar,” he said.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also reported on Thursday via social media that he is in contact with the Venezuelan government to develop a joint strategy to improve the security of the border territories, and to eradicate the armed groups present in that area. In recent days, armed crashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) guerrilla groups have caused the death of at least 90 Colombians, and the displacement of thousands towards Venezuela.
“Specifically, I spoke with the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, to actively patrol illegal crossings on the border between both countries, particularly near the Catatumbo River,” said President Petro.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
