South Florida elected leaders ask Biden to take immediate action on Venezuela
MIAMI - Protests and anger continue in Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election.
According to news reports, at least 11 people have been killed and more than 130 have been arrested in Venezuela as demonstrators clashed with police in the last 24 hours.
Opposition leaders called on Venezuelans to assemble on Tuesday again while in South Florida, Venezuelans are vowing to recognize the victory of Nicolas Maduro's main challenger Edmundo Gonzalez.
South Florida elected officials are asking the Biden administration for immediate action in Venezuela, especially after the Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced Tuesday morning they will do whatever is necessary to defend the Maduro government.
On Tuesday, the video showing Venezuelan security forces arresting opposition leader Freddy Superlano went viral.
Meanwhile, the Maduro regime is trying to contain protests sparked by his controversial announcement of the results of the presidential election.
Tuesday marks the second day of protests in Venezuela after opposition leaders called on Sunday to demand that Maduro accept what they said was a decisive victory by challenger Edmundo González in the country's presidential elections.
"This government is tumbling and I think is a matter of hours and maybe days for them to leave the country," said Ernesto Ackerman, Venezuelan activist.
In South Florida, the Assembly of Cuban Resistance held a press conference showing support to the Venezuelan opposition and those protesting in the South American nation.
"It's the moment for the Venezuelans to do a national strike and stop everything," said Congressman Carlos Gimenez. "Never trust, never trust the Maduro regime or any of these regimes to give up power easily."
Gimenez announced he is asking the Biden administration to act quickly and harshly in Venezuela.
"We've already written a letter today. Congresswoman Maria Salazar, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and myself have written a letter to President Biden, asking the administration to impose the harshest sanctions on the Venezuelan regime. So that they understand this is a new day."
The Associated Press reported that U.S. President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke by phone and agreed that Venezuela must release the voting data, saying the election's outcome "represents a critical moment for democracy in the hemisphere."