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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Economy & Trade

Chavismo Begins National Pilgrimage to Demand End to Sanctions

From El Nacional · (3d ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Venezuela's ruling Chavista movement launched a 13-day national "pilgrimage" to demand the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
  • The initiative, led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, began in border states and aims to highlight the sanctions' impact on national development.
  • High-ranking officials, including Diosdado Cabello and Freddy Bernal, participated in events across the country, emphasizing the call for an end to the "blockade."

The Chavista movement in Venezuela has initiated a nationwide "pilgrimage" spanning 13 days, a significant mobilization aimed squarely at demanding the cessation of United States sanctions. This initiative, spearheaded by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, commenced in states bordering Colombia, underscoring the government's narrative that these "unilateral coercive measures" are directly impeding Venezuela's development and prosperity.

Every unilateral coercive measure, 1,081 in force, is a measure that prevents the development of the Venezuelan people.

— Delcy RodríguezSpeaking at a rally in Zulia state during the national pilgrimage against U.S. sanctions.

Rodríguez, speaking from Maracaibo in Zulia state, framed the pilgrimage as a plea for Venezuela's renewal and peace, invoking religious sentiment at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá. The timing of the mobilization, coinciding with the 216th anniversary of Venezuela's independence process, imbues it with historical and patriotic significance. High-profile figures such as Diosdado Cabello and Freddy Bernal led events in Táchira, rallying military, police, and various social sectors, including youth, farmers, and students, all united under the banner of demanding an end to the "blockade" and "persecution."

I come to place myself at the feet of La Chinita to ask for a miraculous renewal for Venezuela. United for a Venezuela without sanctions and in peace. Today I declare the pilgrimage for a Venezuela in peace, in harmony, in recognition, in reconciliation, and in coexistence.

— Delcy RodríguezSpeaking from the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá in Maracaibo.

From a Venezuelan perspective, as reported by El Nacional, these sanctions, dating back to a 2015 executive order by then-U.S. President Barack Obama, are seen not merely as economic restrictions but as a deliberate attempt to cripple the nation and its people. Officials like Cabello and Bernal argue that the sanctions have universally deteriorated the quality of life, affecting every Venezuelan. The call is for an immediate and unconditional lifting of these measures to pave the way for national progress. The pilgrimage, extending until May 1st, is strategically positioned ahead of a potential announcement on a minimum wage increase, signaling the government's intent to link economic policy with its anti-sanction stance. This movement reflects a deep-seated national grievance and a unified political front against perceived foreign interference, a narrative that resonates strongly within the country.

The country went out to demand the cessation of sanctions and the end of the blockade and persecution.

— Diosdado CabelloAddressing a rally in Táchira state during the pilgrimage.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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