Dozens of supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido converged Tuesday on the now-shuttered Venezuelan embassy in Washington, clashing with pro-regime activists who have been camped out at the building for weeks in support of embattled Nicolas Maduro.
The tense scene in D.C.'s tony Georgetown neighborhood played out as Maduro's socialist government faced perhaps its biggest challenge yet, with Guaido calling for a military uprising -- and the Trump administration voicing support from afar. Amid clashes on the streets of Caracas and global uncertainty over how the escalating challenge to Maduro's grip on power would resolve, dramatic footage from Venezuela's capital showed a military armored vehicle plowing into a crowd of protesters.
In Washington, flag-waving and national-anthem singing demonstrators, many of whom were born in Venezuela, quickly outnumbered those from the anti-war group Code Pink gathered to support Maduro's regime.
“Today is the day the Venezuelans are taking over the country,†one pro-Guaido protester, Giuliano Gandullia, 40, who was born in Venezuela, told Fox News outside the embassy.
The gathering of protesters forced city police in Washington to close down 30th Street. Barricades separated the two sides, with at least 10 uniformed Secret Service officers standing between the Maduro and Guaido protesters.
“This group – the Code Pink – has taken the embassy,†Gandullia said. “We want to enter. We want to take over. And demonstrate that it belongs to us.â€
Activists from Code Pink, which protests U.S. support for Guaido, have been living and protesting at the embassy for weeks. On Tuesday, the organization asked supporters to “join us to uphold international law and protect the Venezuelan embassy from a hostile takeover.†Elliott Abrams, the U.S. envoy for Venezuela, has said the group is breaking the law.
Two Code Pink protesters standing at the door of the embassy on Tuesday held a sign that said: “Hands off Venezuela.†Another sign hanging from the building read: “Nicolas Maduro is the president.â€
“The Venezuela coup attempt is the Trump administration trying to overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro in order to steal Venezuelan oil,†Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin tweeted Tuesday.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelans-clash-with-pro-maduro-activists-embassy-in-dc
