In the wake of a disputed presidential election victory, anti-government activists in Venezuela are expressing their anger by toppling giant statues of the late Hugo Chávez, the country's former president.
In the seaside city of La Guaira, just outside the capital Caracas, protesters Monday night ripped down a 12-foot statue of Chávez that had been dedicated by his handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro, in 2017. A video provided to The Associated Press shows the moment when the statue, known as El Comandante, was pulled down to raucous shouts of "this government is going to fall."
Once removed, the statue was dragged by motorcycles across the plaza, doused in gasoline and set on fire, according to one of the protesters. "This is a powerful symbol to them," said the protester, who asked not to be identified for fear of arrest. "Every time we tackle one of their symbols, we're taking away some of their strength."
Venezuelan Protesters Topple Chávez Statues in Defiance of Maduro
This is not the first time that monuments honoring Chávez, the creator of the Bolivarian Revolution, have been attacked by angry mobs. Similar incidents occurred during waves of anti-government unrest in 2017 and 2019. However, the simultaneous nature and high number of attacks - five in the last 24 hours - underscores the depth of anger many Venezuelans feel after the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner in Sunday's presidential election.
The opposition claims that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, more than doubled Maduro's vote count. A plainclothes military intelligence officer stopped journalists trying to take photos of what remains of the destroyed statue in La Guaira. The officer, who did not identify himself, said the country is "at war" and that any effort to disrespect Chávez was offensive to millions of Venezuelans who revered the former army paratrooper and anti-imperialist icon.
Venezuelan Protesters Topple Chávez Statues in Defiance of Maduro
Maduro said several people had been arrested in the attacks, which he likened to the images from revolutions pushed by the U.S. in post-Soviet states including Ukraine and Georgia. "What do these people have in their head? In the heart?" Maduro asked in a televised address Monday night in which he broadcast images of some of the attacks. "Just imagine if they one day gain power here, what they would be capable of doing."
The attacks on Chávez statues come amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Venezuela. In recent days, security forces have detained dozens of opposition activists and raided the offices of several non-governmental organizations. The government has also blocked access to several websites and social media platforms that have been used by the opposition to organize protests.
The United Nations has expressed concern about the human rights situation in Venezuela and called on the government to respect the right to freedom of expression and assembly. The United States has condemned the government's crackdown on dissent and imposed sanctions on Maduro and other top officials.
The political crisis in Venezuela is expected to deepen in the coming days. The opposition has vowed to continue protesting the election results, while the government has vowed to crack down on any unrest. The outcome of this standoff is likely to have a major impact on the future of Venezuela.
