On Saturday, February 22, 2014, at 12:00 noon, the Florida Civil Rights Association and Central Florida’s largest Venezuelan community will take part in a global peace rally to protest human right violations by Venezuela’s Government. The peace rally will be held at the Blue Jacket Park, 2501 General Rees Avenue, in Orlando.
Recently, gross human rights violations have taken place in Venezuela, as evidenced by the government shutdown of the TV channel NTN24, revoking press credentials for CNN journalists, and the difficulties Venezuelans have had in uploading pictures and videos on the social network Twitter, thus denying Venezuelans the right to free speech and to be informed, said Florida Civil Rights Association State President J. Willie David, III, one of the event organizer.
In addition, the government has criminalized the very act of protesting, and has given free rein to the state security forces to violently repress those who have gathered in peaceful demonstrations across Venezuela, David added. As a result of the violent clashes with state forces and sympathizers, dozens of protestors have been injured, arrested, disappeared, and died.
Saturday, Venezuelans in Florida and all over the world will come together with the protest movement “SOS Venezuela,” David said. Central Florida Venezuelans and supporters will make a human SOS at Blue Jacket Park, in an attempt to raise international awareness and inform the world about what is happening in Venezuela, a country in which there are presently no independent media channels to objectively inform Venezuelans about the situation, stated David.
The Florida Civil Rights Association is working in collaboration with Casa de Venezuela of Orlando, Central Florida Venezuela community leaders and Un Mundo Sin Mordaza in scheduling activities in more than 40 cities around the world, such as Ireland, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Germany, England, Denmark, Argentina, Spain, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and Costa Rica.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 7:00pm, State Officials with the Florida Civil Rights Association joined thousands of Venezuelans to form a 0.9 mile human chain around Orlando Lake Eola to call on Venezuela’s leaders to resolve the ongoing political crisis peacefully. We are using social media, especially “SOSVenezuela” Facebook page, to communicate the time and place of upcoming protests and to learn what is going on in the country.
Protestors will dress with white, display Venezuela flags, hats, or anything with the tricolor Yellow, Blue, Red, the color of the national flag. Venezuelans will be available to make statements in ENGLISH to the news media to learn more about the violence and censorship that exists in Venezuela today, stated David.
Who:
J. Willie David, III, President, Florida Civil Rights Association (Organizer)
Daisy Morales, Chair, Hispanic Affairs, Florida Civil Rights Association
Ana Carolina Salazar, Activist, Casa de Venezuela Orlando (Organizer)
Students and Young Venezuelans
VenezolanosEnOrlando
Central Florida’s Venezuelan community
When:
Saturday, February 22, 2014 | 12:00 pm to 3:00pm
Where:
Blue Jacket Park, 2501 General Rees, Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32814
