Remembering Venezuela's fallen young democrats and the continuing struggle for freedom

"Today more than ever the fight of Robert Redman, Bassil Da Costa and Juancho Montoya continues" - Ana Karina García, February 12, 2017

Ana Karina García with other student protesters on February 12, 2017

Today Ana Karina García, the Voluntad Popular's national youth leader called for Venezuelans to assemble on February 18th and shout with one voice: "No more Dictatorship" and that young Venezuelans on Youth day remained on the street to remember the struggle initiated three years ago. For a times these youth closed down a highway to commemorate the 203rd anniversary of the Battle of the victory and to remember those fallen on February 12, 2014.

Robert Redman and Bassil Alejandro Dacosta

Three years ago today nonviolent student protesters Bassil Da Costa and Robert Redman were gunned down on February 12, 2014, the Youth Day in Venezuela, while engaged in nonviolent street protests against the government of Nicolas Maduro. Robert Redman was shot and killed hours after he had carried Bassil who had also been shot and killed earlier that same day and tweeted about it. 

"Today I was hit with a rock in the back, a helmet in my nose. I swallowed tear-gas, Carried the kid who died, and what did you do?" - Robert Redman, age 28 over twitter on February 12, 2014  

"Gentlemen, he who is here will go out tomorrow to find a better future." - Bassil Alejandro Dacosta, age 24 , over Facebook on February 11, 2014.

Last year the Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal published and distributed the above image with the names and images of young Venezuelans murdered during the 2014 anti-government protests along with their first names which states: "It is ironic to celebrate the Day of the Youth in Venezuela when her youth are in prison, exiled or in a tomb."  

Tonight Leopoldo Lopez still unjustly imprisoned tweeted about his 2014 arrest:

"Three years ago, faced with the infamous capture order against my person, I decided to stay and face this dictatorship. I would do it a thousand times over!"

Leopoldo also remembered the youth killed on February 12, 2014 and their grieving families over twitter:

A big hug to Bassil's mother, Robert's father and Juancho's family. All victims of the violence of this dictatorship.

Public pressure and international scrutiny led to the killer of Bassil Da Costa being brought to justice his name is José Ramón Perdomo Camacho, a state security agent of the Maduro regime, who was sentenced to 29 years in prison on December 1, 2016.

Venezuela is no longer a free country but there are courageous Venezuelans struggling to free their homeland.

All eyes on Venezuela: Mass civil disobedience underway

Venezuelan women take to the streets demanding change

We did it Venezuela, told the dictatorship recall will be this year. - Ana Karina Garcia

Venezuela is in the news again with The Washington Post declaring Maduro's regime a dictatorship because it is ignoring its own constitutional laws in blocking a referendum on his continued rule.

Today, Venezuelan women are protesting by the thousands met in Miranda Park and took to the highway demanding the law be respected and the referendum on Maduro's rule to be held this year.


However it is important to remember that Venezuela has been a dictatorship for far longer than this past week. Students have been shot, killed and tortured for their nonviolent opposition to the regime. Cuban state security is assisting the Maduro regime to repress Venezuela's democrats along with Cuban soldiers. Workers are being stripped of their rights in Venezuela. Opposition leaders have been subjected to show trials and sentenced to long prison terms. The 2012 presidential election in Venezuela fell far short of international standards and was stolen from the opposition.

Secretary of State John Kerry in  August of 2015 ignoring the above reality and believing that the relationship between the U.S. government and the Castro regime had been fundamentally changed said "the United States and Cuba are talking about ways to solve the Venezuelan crisis." 

Meanwhile members of the Maduro regime hide billions in overseas bank accounts, traffic in narcotics, while Venezuelans go hungry in Venezuela and do not have access to the most minimal healthcare.

The international environment and the Obama Administration's outreach to the Castro regime leaves the Venezuelan democratic opposition in a more isolated and vulnerable position. This was easily predicted when the new Cuba policy was announced and is now a reality with Latin America imploding. The only option for the democratic opposition in Venezuela is to resist nonviolently and to develop a well thought out strategy of non-violent civic resistance.

Venezuelans have been standing up for freedom and need the solidarity of all people of good will. These are difficult times when international leadership on human rights is absent to a large degree.

All eyes on Venezuela this week because the democratic opposition needs your solidarity. 

Update October 23, 2016: Opposition National Assembly votes to place Nicolas Maduro on trial for violating Democracy.

Rosa Maria Payá in solidarity with Cubans and Venezuelans

"We wish to express our solidarity with all those who suffer from any form of oppression and injustice, and with those in the world who have been silenced or marginalized." - Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas

"We can't look away while human rights are violated in a sister country" - Patricio Walker, President of the Senate of Chile 

Rosa Maria Payá with Patricio Walker in Venezuela

Rosa Maria Payá, daughter of martyred Cuban opposition leader Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, is carrying on her father's Christian democratic legacy of solidarity with those suffering oppression and injustice both inside and outside of Cuba. Rosa Maria, along with Cuban musicians, visited her compatriots stranded on the frontier with Nicaragua and took part in a solidarity concert  on Thursday, December 3rd to lift their spirits.

Rosa Maria Payá with David D Omni and Cuban refugees in Costa Rica

 Today she is in Venezuela as an observer in the parliamentary elections that will be held on Sunday, December 6, 2015 over twitter Rosa Maria stated her objectives clearly: "I'm in Caracas for the elections to support transparency and democracy [for] Venezuela and Cuba." In an earlier tweet she explained that she had been invited to Venezuela by Patricio Walker, a long time friend of human rights and liberty in Cuba, who is now president of the Chilean Senate.

All eyes on Venezuela, international solidarity with Venezuelan democrats needed!

Rosa Maria Payá together with Ana Karina Garcia, Lilian Tintori and other activists