A protest calling for the release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cecilia Flores, and urging President Donald Trump’s administration to end its intervention in Venezuela, is being held Saturday evening at Civic Garden Park in Downtown Dallas.
About 100 demonstrators chanted slogans and carried signs denouncing the military operation ordered by Trump on Jan. 3, which led to Maduro’s capture in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
Participants endured a biting cold afternoon as sharp gusts swept through Civic Garden Park, snapping the U.S. and Texas flags that lined the surrounding buildings.
The event is organized by groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America North Texas.
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“The Trump administration has made it extremely clear that they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep America on top of the world, including economic strangulation and open warfare with countries of the global south,” said Saya Clarke, a spokesperson for the DSA North Texas.
The Trump administration maintains that Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela and argues he has effectively turned Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups.
Maduro, who governed Venezuela for 13 years, and his wife were initially taken to a U.S. warship before being transferred to a federal prison in New York, where he now faces charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism.
Maduro’s arrest was carried out by U.S. special operations forces, including Delta Force, with the support of roughly 150 aircraft.
Following his capture, the former Venezuelan strongman was first transported to the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean before being transferred to New York.
Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
On Jan. 5, he appeared before a Manhattan court, where he entered a plea of “not guilty” to all charges.
Saturday’s protest is part of ongoing demonstrations by anti‑war groups calling for an end to foreign military escalation and a renewed focus on domestic issues.