On Saturday afternoon, political activists across the country held protests in opposition to recent military action in Venezuela, which included a modest protest in Parsons near 16th and Main Street.
Local organizer for the southeast Kansas chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Altamont City Council Member Zac Sellers put together the short-notice protest.
“This is just a pop-up protest to let people know that we are not going to stand idly by while illegal actions are being taken against sovereign nations and peoples,” Sellers said.
Another protester, Chris Decker, said they were also there to show individuals that they were not alone in being against recent actions.
“Other people are out here, who support the same ideas they do,” Decker said.
For context, in the early hours of Saturday morning, explosions hit several military targets in and near the capital city of Caracas, Venezuela after months of increasing tension between the two nations. The U.S. military has been conducting strikes off the coast of Venezuela since September. The attacks have targeted boats that were allegedly trafficking drugs.
Last month a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers was put in place.
During the attacks, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured and brought to New York on charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies. According to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, Saturday’s airstrikes also hit civilian neighborhoods. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was made interim president and has voiced her support for Maduro.
President Donald Trump said during a Mar-a-Lago press conference of Saturday that the U.S. government will help run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
Though on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would simply be enforcing an existing oil quarantine.
At Saturday’s protest, on the high-traffic road, Sellers held a sign that read “No blood for oil.”
“Being a millennial, I remember when men in power lied about weapons of destruction in Iraq, and watching many of my friends go overseas only to end up damaged — and even some who are no longer with us — to steal oil from sovereign nations and peoples,” Sellers said. “I’m not willing to stand by and let them try and do that to my children.”
See PROTEST, Page 5.
Drivers in passing vehicles gave honks and waves of approval, and some gave gestures showing their disagreement, such as showing their middle finger to the protesters.
One gentleman yelled from his vehicle: “Trump is just doing what those other chicken s—s won’t,” to which Sellers responded: “I thought he was going to be a peaceful president.”
“I’m Gen X, and I remember the fallout from Vietnam,” Decker said. “I’ve known Vietnam veterans that were not happy with how things went and how they were treated, and I just don’t understand why the people that want us to go to war never go themselves.”
The protesters said they received more positive reactions than negative ones during Saturday’s protest. Of this protest and other recent protests he has attended, Decker said there is always a mixed bag of reactions.
“Some issues are a little heavier than others,” Decker said.
The reactions globally to this event have been just as mixed as the reactions to the local protesters.
As individuals, some support the action of removing Maduro, whose tenure has been marked by scandals of corruption and rigged elections. Some see the drug trafficking charges as an excuse while the U.S. aims to gain more control of Venezuela’s oil. Some question how the strikes on Venezuela match up with President Trump’s “America First” policy. Internationally, many countries call for a peaceful transition of power, and some condemn the U.S.’s actions. Some countries have claimed Saturday’s actions violate the United Nations charter.
A joint statement from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and Uruguay reads: “We express our deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally in the territory of Venezuela, which contravene fundamental principles of international law. Such actions set an extremely dangerous precedent for regional peace and security and for the rulesbased international order, in addition to endangering the civilian population. We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively by peaceful means, through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement read: “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the U.S. against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha said: “Ukraine has consistently defended the right of nations to live freely, free of dictatorship, oppression, and human rights violations. The Maduro regime has violated all such principles in every respect. We stand for further developments in accordance with the principles of international law, prioritising democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
A statement from the office of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni said: “In line with Italy’s long-standing position, the government believes that external military action is not the way to end totalitarian regimes, but at the same time considers defensive intervention against hybrid attacks to its security to be legitimate, as in the case of state entities that fuel and promote drug trafficking.”
Statements from countries such as France and Panama claim that the rightful leader is Edmundo Gonzalez, who ran during the 2024 election.
Sellers said that as a nation, the United States doesn’t have to maintain a reliance on oil, and shouldn’t have to go to war over oil.
“I understand that living here in Parsons, Kansas, and being in such close proximity to the ammunition plant, it can be hard to break away from the military industrial complex, but if we work together, we can create good paying jobs here that don’t rely on destroying lives across the world,” Sellers said “We can build a future of high-capacity power lines and accessible, clean energy. All we have to do is put our hands to do the work.”
Editor’s Note: The international news surrounding this story continues to unfold, and we at the Parsons Sun recommend reading news coverage from multiple sources to develop a deeper understanding of this nuanced topic.
