Times Square rally in wake of Trump’s Venezuela strike sees hundreds decry operation as a war crime

After President Donald Trump’s administration ordered a large-scale military strike in Venezuela, capturing its President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores early Saturday morning, hundreds of New Yorkers immediately gathered in Times Square to denounce the action.

The massive demonstration occurred just as Trump extradited the couple to the United States to be charged with narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses. Both Maduro and his wife have been charged since 2020, but were never in custody until this weekend.

Meanwhile, the rally was just one of many, large-scale anti-Trump protests that broke out across the United States and the world on Jan. 3.

Demonstrators march to Trump Tower in Columbus Circle, protesting the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela and the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Meanwhile, as protests continue, Maduro and his wife are at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park, the same jailhouse that holds accused healthcare CEO killer, Luigi Mangione. Maduro is expected in Manhattan federal court on Monday, where he will face drugs and weapons charges.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are not new. Separate from drug charges, in which Maduro allowed the cocaine trade throughout the world to continue without interference, former President Barack Obama in 2015 declared Maduro’s administration a national security threat after several elected officials engaged in “significant acts” of violence or human rights violations, per a March 9, 2015, White House executive order.

The last three U.S. presidential administrations had a bounty on Maduro, which increased multiple times over recent years.

Back in Times Square, hundreds of protestors gathered, many of them carrying signs that read “No Blood For Oil” and “Stop Bombing Venezuela Now,” and marched to Trump Tower in Columbus Circle on Saturday afternoon, condemning the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, labeling it a war crime and a threat to global stability.

Protestors called for global solidarity, particularly with Venezuela, against what they described as U.S. imperialism.

Demonstrators protest the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela and the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro at a rally in Times Square.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Emma, a member of Refuse Fascism.Org, told amNewYork that the invasion of Venezuela set a dangerous precedent and called for Trump’s ouster from office.

“He’s already a danger to the world, but the implications of leaving him in power even one more day longer are catastrophic,” she said. “This has nothing to do with the war on drugs, and everything to do with bringing back a doctrine where the U.S. can just globally dominate any country for no reason at all.”

During his press conference on Jan. 3, Trump made it clear that the U.S. would seize Venezuela’s oil reserve.

Demonstrators march to Trump Tower in Columbus Circle, protesting the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela and the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro. Photo by Gabriele HoltermannPhoto by Gabriele Holtermann

Speaking of control, Maduro’s malfeasance stretches beyond the illegal drug trade and includes stealing multiple elections — so much so that more than 50 countries, including the United States, have refused to recognize the druglord as Venezuela’s head of state.

Demonstrators march to Trump Tower in Columbus Circle, protesting the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela and the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro. Photo by Gabriele HoltermannPhoto by Gabriele Holtermann

Rise and Resist member Jenny Heinz told the newspaper that the military strike was used as a diversion from the Epstein files.

“Trump is doing everything to distract from the Epstein files, everything he can do, and killing civilians is fine, as long as we don’t see the Epstein files,” Heinz said. “We must be here, because this is again initiating the horrendous history of the United States of interference and taking over and all of that horrible stuff that the United States, unfortunately, has done in the past.”

Chelsea resident Andrea said that she “froze” when she learned about the military strike and joined the protest because a country’s sovereignty had been violated.

“We don’t need war for oil. We need money for education. We need money for healthcare and housing,” Andrea said.

Former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio and South Tucson mayor Roxanna Valenzuela attend the anti-war rally in Times Square.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann