Thousands of Venezuelans March Against Imperialism, OAS Interference

Young people seemed to dominate the numbers at an anti-imperialist march, early Tuesday in Caracas, Venezuela. This, as thousands pounded the streets, expressing a sense of fatigue at constant right-wing attacks on the country's sovereignty.

RELATED:
Venezuela Top Court Reverses Ruling on National Assembly Powers

The march was a direct counter against opposition marches, as Venezuela's MUD coalition rallied its supporters in a bid to further solicit the application of the Organization of American States' so-called "Democratic Charter," which could see the country suspended from the regional bloc.

From a podium just outside the opposition-led National Assembly building, PSUV Vice President Diosdado Cabello gave a powerful speech that garnered huge rounds of applause heard for blocks around. The top socialist leader slammed moves by opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly to remove Supreme Court judges.

This comes after the court's decision, last week, to assume temporary authority to approve mixed enterprises — a function that court acknowledged falls under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly, which the court says is currently in contempt for allowing unauthorized people to serve as lawmakers. The court, one day later, rescinded the decision following criticisms from both opposition and government ranks.

"We are here, fighting like everyone else," said Mayin Sequera, a member of the youth group, Juventud Rebelde (Youth Rebellion). "We are fighting to uphold the Bolivarian Revolution. We are here to tell the world that we are an independent people. We are a democracy, and we have autonomy over our own affairs."

On Monday, the OAS held a controversial, extraordinary meeting where a partial group of member states adopted a resolution which listed three points of action against Venezuela following the Supreme Court decision and subsequent reversal. The resolution said the events "constitute an alteration of the constitutional order of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," and threatened "further diplomatic initiatives to foster the restoration of the democratic institutional system."

At the OAS Monday meeting on the resolution, Venezuela's representative and other countries stormed out of a session of the 35-nation bloc, calling it an institutional "coup d'etat" after Bolivia was summarily removed as council president so the states who proposed the motion could continue with the meeting.

IN DEPTH:
OAS vs. Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reacted to the meeting, saying that the OAS "has surpassed itself in its aggression against Venezuela," and that it "is truly a court of inquisition with all the abuses and vulgarities."

The move by the OAS is unlikely to help resolve the country's problems, nor the tensions between the main political factions.

For many Venezuelans, especially those in the streets, the response is resounding: "Leave Venezuela in peace!"