KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Hundreds of Venezuelans in Katy participated in a global protest Saturday calling for democracy in their homeland and the removal of President Nicolás Maduro, who is accused of corruption, human rights abuses, and stealing the July 28, 2024, election.
The Katy protest took place at the Latin Market, 25600 Westheimer Parkway at Greenbusch.
Chants of "libertad for Venezuela," or liberty for Venezuela, could be heard on Saturday in Katy.
The peaceful protest was part of a larger worldwide demonstration aimed at drawing attention to what they call a stolen election in their country. Protests in cities such as Caracas, Tokyo, and Sydney urged global support for candidate Edmundo González.
Joel Teran has lived in Katy for 25 years. He settled in Katy because it's similar to this community in Venezuela, before things got bad, "oil and gas and solid schools," he said.
Although electoral officials declared Maduro the winner of the election, they have yet to provide detailed voting tallies to support their claim. However, the opposition revealed that it collected tally sheets from more than 80% of the 30,000 electronic voting machines nationwide, showing that Maduro lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
"It’s very important that we finally have a lot of attention to what’s been happening in Venezuela for many years," said Maria Christina Menrique, who attended the Katy protest.
Venezuelans have been displaced by the millions due to ongoing economic and political crises. Over the past decade, thousands of Venezuelans have come to Katy to escape the communist regime in their homeland. The community is affectionately known by some as "Katyzuela."
"There are millions of people that want change, so it’s not fair for us," Carlos Diaz said at the Katy protest. "We didn't leave the country because we wanted to; we had to do it because of the situation."
The U.S. government believes González want the election.
"The world understands that he (Maduro) lost, and he should be a man and step down," said Dr. Katherine España at the Katy protest.
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