Thousands march in Venezuela to demand US free President Maduro, wife

Published On 4 Feb 2026Thousands of people marched through Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, exactly one month since US forces abducted the couple in a bloody nighttime raid.“Venezuela needs Nicolas!” the crowd chanted in Tuesday’s demonstration, titled “Gran Marcha” (The Great March).Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘A great honor’: Key takeaways from Trump’s meeting with Colombia’s Petrolist 2 of 4Trump-Petro meeting: Just how icy are US-Colombia relations?list 3 of 4Cuba in contact with US, diplomat says, as Trump issues threat to block oillist 4 of 4Modi, Trump announce India-US ‘trade deal’: What we know and what we don’tend of listThousands carried signs in support of the abducted president, and many wore shirts calling for the couple’s return from detention in a US prison.“The empire kidnapped them. We want them back,” declared one banner carried by marchers.Nicolas Maduro Guerra, the detained president’s son and a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, addressed the crowds from a stage, stating that the US military’s abduction of his father on January 3 “will remain marked like a scar on our face, forever”.“Our homeland’s soil was desecrated by a foreign army”, Maduro Guerra said of the night US forces abducted his father.The march, called by the government and involving many public sector workers, stretched for several hundred metres, accompanied by trucks blaring music.A demonstrator holds a placard during a rally to demand the US releases abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas, Venezuela [Maxwell Briceno/Reuters]Local media outlet Venezuela News said the march was part of a “global day of action” to demand the couple’s release. Protesters showed their solidarity around the world, demonstrating under banners with slogans like “Bring them back” and “Hands off Venezuela”.