NYC International Women’s Day march demands freedom for Venezuela’s Cilia Flores

Brooklyn, NY – On March 8, close to 80 people marched to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to commemorate International Women’s Day and demand the kidnapped First Lady of Venezuela, Cilia Flores, be released by the Trump Administration. Cilia Flores was kidnapped alongside her husband, Venezuelan President Maduro, in the January 3 U.S. attack on Venezuela.

Michela Martinazzi of Brooklyn Against War opened the rally by saying, “Today, we’re going to march onto the Metropolitan Detention Center where First Combatant Cilia Flores and President Maduro are being held waiting for their sham trial. But I also want to shout out BAYAN, who across the river, in Manhattan, are giving the Philippines President Marcos hell for even daring to show his face!

“Both the Philippines and Venezuela have been ravaged by U.S. imperialism and endless wars. Both nations should be free from the evil clutches of the U.S. war machine and be able to determine their own destinies!”

The rally began with chants of “Free the prisoners, free them all! Free Cilia from these walls!” before taking up the entire sidewalk and marching to the front of the Metropolitan Detention Center.

The attendees held flower signs reading “Free Cilia Flores” and held yellow flowers made of paper, a symbol often associated with International Woman’s Day. Banners were affixed to the chain link fence adjacent the prison reading “Justice for Cilia Flores” and “Free President Maduro and Cilia Flores.”

Sara Flounders of Workers World Party gave a passionate speech about who Cilia Flores is and her role in the Bolivarian Revolution.

Shivani Ishwar from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “So no, the U.S. does not care about women. The empire cannot even understand what it means to care about women. Because true liberation for women, just like true liberation for all of us, can only be born from socialism – the antithesis to the capitalist, imperialist machine.”

The rally was organized by Brooklyn Against War (BAW), alongside the Venezuela Solidarity Network, Workers World Party, Students for a Democratic Society NYU, New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Alliance for Peace, Palaver Collective, Bronx Anti War, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The next major action for Venezuela will be the hearing for President Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores on March 26 in New York City.

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