Dozens of hardline chavista supporters took to the streets of downtown Caracas this Saturday to reject the presence of the United States in Venezuela and demand the release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were detained on January 3 by U.S. forces.
The mobilization, called by the Anti-Imperialist People’s Front, took place one day after Washington and Caracas announced what President Donald Trump described as the largest oil deal in history, a pact that this sector of chavismo considers an unacceptable concession of sovereignty.
The protesters gathered near the National Assembly headquarters, where they distributed a manifesto among passersby and accused Trump of being a "murderer."
Humberto Vargas, spokesperson for the Anti-Imperialist Popular Front, explained to EFE the group's position with a phrase that summarizes the paradox of the movement: "For us, the Government is a victim of what is happening."
Vargas referred to the government of the acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who is defended by her own sector despite criticism of the agreement she herself signed with Washington.
The leader also described the dialogue process between chavismo and a sector of the opposition, led by former congresswoman Dinorah Figuera, as a "manipulated trap" by the United States to impose the "plan outlined" by Trump following the military operation on January 3 in Caracas.
"We have defined that our true enemy is Yankee imperialism and Zionism and their acolytes in Venezuela," Vargas stated to the EFE agency during the protest.
The group announced that it will soon discuss the scope of the oil agreement announced on Friday, indicating that Washington would begin to control more than 20% of Venezuela's crude oil reserves.
The agreement, confirmed on Friday by Rodríguez, includes the development of 17 strategic fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels of oil, an investment exceeding 100 billion dollars, and over 209 billion in taxes for the Venezuelan state.
The acting president expressed her "sincere" gratitude to Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio "for their willingness in the development" of what she termed "a historic milestone in bilateral relations."
This agreement marks the culmination of a progressive energy cooperation that began after Maduro's capture, when Venezuela and the United States resumed diplomatic relations that had been severed for seven years.
The Anti-imperialist Popular Front, formally established in April 2026, has led several mobilizations in Caracas this year, including a protest on August 1 against the opposition-chavismo dialogue and another on August 16 in El Junquito.
Maduro, meanwhile, faces trial in New York for conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and cocaine importation, with the start date set for June 1, 2027, while Cilia Flores faces charges related to drug importation and possession of firearms.
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