Maduro’s son called on Venezuelans to mobilize in the streets

The public address by Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a lawmaker and son of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, marked a transition of the situation around the country into a new phase. For the first time since reports emerged about the abduction of the head of state by U.S. forces, there was a direct call for people to take to the streets and for mass mobilization of government supporters.

In his statement, Maduro Guerra urged Venezuelans to remain calm but prepare for active actions. According to him, what happened was a shock, but the response should not be retreat, but collective presence in the streets. This signal points to the intention of the authorities and their supporters to shift the crisis from the plane of external pressure into internal political dynamics.

A special emphasis was placed on symbolism. Maduro Guerra called on people to raise the banners of Hugo Chávez, which in the Venezuelan context means not merely the use of national attributes, but an appeal to the political legacy of the Bolivarian movement. The flag with eight stars, introduced under Chávez, is traditionally associated with the ideas of sovereignty, anti-imperialism, and social justice.

The context of the address gives it additional weight. Reports of the capture of the Venezuelan president by foreign forces are perceived inside the country as a direct encroachment on state sovereignty. Under these conditions, the call for street mobilization appears as an attempt to demonstrate that the authorities retain support and are able to rely on a mass movement, not only on institutional mechanisms.

For the opposition and external actors, this statement serves as a signal that a scenario of rapid destabilization may encounter organized resistance. Street actions, if they become widespread, are capable of changing the balance of power and complicating any plans for external administration or political restructuring of the country.

At the same time, uncertainty remains regarding the scale and form of the upcoming protests. It is unclear whether the call will lead to spontaneous actions or to centrally organized mobilization. The permissible limits and the possible reaction of security forces have also not been outlined. However, the very fact of the address shows that the crisis around Venezuela has ceased to be exclusively foreign-policy-related and is beginning to directly affect the country’s internal stability.