Venezuelans Rally in Support of Palestine

On Saturday 2 August, members of progressive and left-wing organisations mobilised in cities throughout Venezuela in order to demand peace in the Israel Gaza conflicto and condemn what they called the “massacre” of Palestinian civilians by Israeli security forces.

VA.com covered a pro-Palestine protest in the Andean city of Mérida, where hundreds of activists gathered to make their views on the conflict known. Speeches were interspersed with the performance of popular Latin American protest and folk songs by a live band.

The most common slogans that were shouted included, “Venezuela, Palestine, just one flag”, “Long live free Palestine” and “Hold on Palestine, the world is rising up”.  

One participant, Manuel Escuni, told VA.com: “We’ve come down from the high mountains to say: “Hold on Palestine, the world is rising up”. And as we have risen up from the town of Mucuchies in the high mountains, so the world should rise up too. Enough of massacres, we were born to live, educate ourselves and contribute to the world, not to take away from it. Respect for the right to life is important. Enough Israel, please, we need to respect life”.

Another participant, a woman named Jasmery, said: “We’re here to show our full and total support for Palestine, to call out to the peoples of all continents to unite in order to avoid what is happening in Palestine at the moment. We want to call for peace, love, and the avoidance of the war that is happening there today”.