Protestors gather on Idaho Falls bridge to show support for Venezuelan people over election dispute
Published at
IDAHO FALLS — About 50 people rallied on a popular Idaho Falls bridge Saturday to protest the actions of Venezuela’s president.
The demonstration was organized by a group of local Venezuelans who migrated to eastern Idaho, many due to the actions of the current government. They were joined on Broadway Bridge by people with no personal ties to the South American country to show solidarity with Venezuelans protesting the disputed results of their most recent election.
“This is a way to show our brothers and sisters from Venezuela that we are still here. They’re still in our hearts, and we’re present for them,” said event organizer Javier Hurtado, who has been living in Idaho Falls for about 10 years.
Protests have erupted nationwide following a July 28 election that saw President Nicolás Maduro claim victory over his opponent, Edmundo González. The Washington Post reports González won more than twice as many votes as Maduro.
The opposition coalition gathered more than 80% of voter tally sheets. Maduro has not made the rest of the sheets publicly available but protesters are calling for him to accept the results.
Javier’s family left Venezuela due to “persecution” from the government. He owned a printing company at the time, and found that government could exert control over what he printed.
“They sell you paper if they are sure that you’re going to print just regular things,” Javier said. “If you’re going to print material against the government, like an invitation for a protest … they will punish you and not sell you paper.”
Javier’s daughter, Victoria Hurtado, was 8 years old when they left her birth country. Before that, she recalls attending protests where authorities used violence against the crowd.
“People from the army, from the government — they came in and started shooting or pushing people away,” Victoria said.
They ran to a bakery where they stayed until the chaos calmed down. She called the ordeal a “scary” experience.
“It just shows how far the current regime goes to suppress the voice of the opposition,” Victoria said.
Another Venezuelan at the protest was Rosana Dalaguera, who has lived in Idaho Falls for seven years. She left her home country because of the political situation.
“I want to be (somewhere) peaceful. I want to feel freedom,” Dalaguera said.
She called the demonstration on the bridge “beautiful.”
“It’s amazing to see the community all together, hoping for the best future for Venezuela,” Dalaguera said.
There were also people at Saturday’s protest who weren’t from Venezuela. Among them were Maria Alvarez, who immigrated to Idaho Falls from Mexico when she was 4 years old, and City Councilman John Radford.
When Alvarez saw the news coming out of Venezuela, she was “devastated.” When Javier invited her to the protest, she was happy to attend.
Alvarez said she wanted to “show support and let them know they’re not alone.”
Radford didn’t have to think much on whether he would attend the protest.
“It’s an easy choice to come support free elections and try to make sure that voters are choosing their leadership. People deserve that right,” Radford said.
