Dozens of Calgarians gathered at Eau Claire Plaza on Tuesday to lend support to those dealing with the effects of violent clashes in Venezuela.
On Tuesday, opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising in the country’s capital to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.
Many of the people who rallied in Calgary have family and friends caught in the middle of violence in Caracas.
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Nora Romero told Global News that her father lives in Venezuela, near the border with Colombia, and she was worried after not hearing from him Tuesday morning.
“The last time I got communication from him was 5 a.m.,” she said. “I know he’s OK, you feel it, and I pray a lot.”
Organizer Josue Ramirez with the Canada Venezuela Democracy Forum said that Canadians need to be aware of the situation not only in Caracas but Venezuela as a whole.
“It’s a country in which food is needed… It’s a country in which people are drinking water from the sewer system,” he explained.
“How can you say it’s a political struggle when it’s a matter of life and death?”
Ramirez spoke to supporters in Calgary and urged them to share their stories with the crowd.
Juan Basabe’s mother and sister still live in Venezuela and he said that their electricity had been shut off.
“They have no food, no water, no medicine and no freedom,” Basabe said. “It’s super sad.”
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