Coordinated “Hands Off Venezuela” rallies took place across the state of Massachusetts on January 17, 2026.
Western Massachusetts
On Saturday, January 17th, a crowd of 75 residents of Western Massachusetts braved the cold and wintery conditions that day to attend a rally in Greenfield, MA and demand an end to U.S. attacks on Venezuela and freedom for President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The demonstration was called by a coalition of almost a dozen local progressive and anti-war organizations across the River Valley, including the Anti-Imperialist Action Committee and Massachusetts Peace Action among others. Attendees held signs stating “Free President Maduro”, “End the war on Venezuela”, “U.S. Hands off Venezuela” and waved Palestinian flags.
Liz Walber of the River Valley district of Freedom Road Socialist Organization took the microphone first to speak about a recent report back from local MA activists currently on the ground in Venezuela. She spoke to their report on how the recent attack on the capital city of Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores had united the people of Venezuela in the streets as they demanded the return of their president, contrasting this reality to the curated images broadcast in the U.S. of expats in Miami celebrating the illegal kidnapping. “There are no illusions on the ground in Venezuela, let’s not let them live here. It is the machinery of US imperialism that disenfranchises, starves, and kills poor and working people at home and abroad.” claimed Walber.
Between the speakers of the day, Ben Grosscup, a singer and songwriter who is a known fixture of the local anti-war movement, provided music and spoke about the brutal repression and occupation his home city of Minneapolis is currently experiencing at the hands of ICE after the murder of Renee Nicole Good. He stated that what is happening in Minneapolis today cannot be separated from the imperialist ambitions of the U.S. government and its years-long campaign against the people of Venezuela and Latin America more broadly before launching into his newest song titled “The Money They Stole (from Venezuela)” about just that. By the conclusion of his performance most in attendance were singing along with the chorus of “If you wonder what’s the empire’s goal? Just follow the money they stole.”, referencing the theft of Venezuelan oil assets by the U.S. government.
Brett Belcastro of the River Valley chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America followed the song with a call for internationalism and solidarity amongst all struggles against imperialism. “Wherever the greed and aggression of capitalism and empire goes we will follow.” said Belcastro before acknowledging the numerous Palestinian flags present at the protest, highlighting the connected struggle shared by the people of both Palestine and Venezuela.
To close out the speaking portion of the rally, Belcastro called for those in attendance to take the next step from mobilizing to organizing, “We have the power, we have all the power in the world, the greatest power in the world, if only we have the sense to organize and to apply it.”
— Aidan Mastroianni
Central Massachusetts
In Worcester, locals battling the snow gathered in Lincoln square to protest the Trump administration’s bombing campaigns in Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Maduro.
Chants included “Donald Trump you’re a liar, no more war for empire”, “Hands off Venezuela!”, and “Money for Jobs and Education, not for War and Deportation!” The ground demanded an end to US intervention in Venezuela and around the world, including the its deadly illegal sanction regimes, as well as the release of President Maduro and Cilia Flores.
In spite of the uncooperate weather, about 30 attendees participated, including Representatives from the Worcester Party for Socialism and Liberation, Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party, Worcester Democratic Socialists of America, Worcester Indivisible, and Independent Socialist Group.
— Laura Gagnon (Worcester PSL)
