San Antonio Protest Opposes Trump's Venezuela Plan

Protests Against U.S. Involvement in Venezuela

Less than twelve hours after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a group of about 100 people gathered on a street corner on San Antonio's North Side to express their disapproval of the operation. This protest was one of over 100 organized nationwide during the weekend, all of which condemned the ouster of Maduro and Trump's promise to "run" Venezuela and sell its oil to other countries.

As the sun began to set at the corner of San Pedro Avenue and Basse Road, protesters held signs with messages such as "No blood for oil" and "Make love not war." Chants like "Venezuela's in our hearts, stop this war before it starts!" echoed throughout the two-hour event.

Tori Ramirez, an organizer for the Party for Socialism and Liberation's San Antonio chapter, highlighted the concerns of many local residents. She mentioned that many in the community come from military families and are worried about the potential deployment of loved ones for a billionaire agenda.

"The people that are going to be sent over to enforce this illegal occupation, it's not going to be the children of the oil tycoons, the war profiters," she said. "A lot of us don't want to see our loved ones deployed for the sake of a billionaire agenda."

Concerns About Precedent and International Relations

Longtime friends Ali Mohammed and Bilal Samir, who reside in San Antonio, attended the protest with concerns about the precedent set by Trump's actions. They questioned how the U.S. could lecture other nations about issues like Ukraine or Taiwan if they were involved in a similar situation.

Mohammed posed the question, "How can we lecture Russia about Ukraine? How can we lecture China about Taiwan?" while Samir expressed satisfaction with the turnout at the protest.

The demonstration remained peaceful, with organizers speaking through a microphone as onlookers watched from a grass median in front of a Whataburger parking lot. Protesters marched two laps around the large intersection, covering areas such as a Whataburger, Church's Texas Chicken, a Valero gas station, and a U-Haul facility.

Legal Authority and International Reactions

Some speakers criticized the capture of Maduro as "illegal" and denounced Trump's decision to carry out the operation without Congressional approval. Chele Fernandez, one of more than a dozen speakers, stated, "Whether you support Maduro or not, you don't want a U.S. regime change. They're not going into the us to help Venezuelans. They go in there to help themselves."

The legal authority for the operation, known as "Operation Absolute Resolve," was not immediately clear. The Trump administration described the move, along with earlier deadly strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea, as necessary to stem the flow of dangerous drugs.

Continued Protests Across Texas

Other protests are planned throughout Texas this weekend, including events in Austin, San Marcos, Dallas, Houston, Waco, Pflugerville, and Stephenville. Preston Wood, an 82-year-old resident of San Antonio who moved from Los Angeles six months ago, stood on the corner holding a "No U.S. war in Venezuela" sign.

Wearing an orange flannel shirt and a striped ballcap, he recalled waking up to the news that the U.S. had struck Venezuela. "First, I was going to cry, then I got angry," he said. "I'm so glad I could come to an event like this and be with all the people, the peace activists who stand with the international community and condemning such violence."