At the United Nations General Assembly, a Venezuelan delegate silently protested against President Donald Trump when he derided the Venezuelan president as a “Cuban puppet” and a “dictator”—by burying her nose in a book.
Image Via Plataforma
Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, did not attend Tuesday’s U.N. General Assembly. Instead he traveled to Russia to meet with ally President Vladimir Putin instead, but President Trump didn’t forget about him.
After the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election, Nicolás Maduro was officially elected president, but Juan Guaidó declared the election illegitimate and declared himself acting President of Venezuela on January 23rd 2019. This move was supported by the United States, Canada and various Latin American and European countries, but was decried by Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Turkey who all support Maduro.
Image Via Aldia News
In response, Maduro administration forbade Guaidó from leaving the country, froze his Venezuelan assets, and launched a probe accusing Guaidó of foreign interference. There have been reports of threats of violence against Guaidó.
Last month, Trump imposed sanctions on Venezuela that target all of its government assets. The U.S. and other western nations have deemed the Maduro regime for many crimes, including repeat abuse of human rights, theft, and drug-related crimes.
The United States has also said that it will not recognize Maduro as the president of Venezuela, instead recognizing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s legitimate president.
Image Via Bloomberg
Although Maduro was not at the UN, Trump spoke to the UN as a whole about Maduro:
The dictator Maduro is a Cuban puppet, protected by Cuban bodyguards, hiding from his own people while Cuba plunders Venezuela’s oil wealth to sustain its own corrupt, communist rule…Since I last spoke at this hall, the United States and its partners have built a historic coalition of 55 countries that recognize the legitimate government of Venezuela. To the Venezuelans trapped in this nightmare, please know that all of America is united behind you.
Image Via USA Today
While he was speaking, however, Representative Daniela Rodríguez was thumbing through the pages of a book about the late Venezuelan military and political leader Simón Bolívar.
Known as El Libertador (The Liberator), Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led the secession of what are currently the states of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama from the Spanish Empire.
Later, Representative Rodríguez tweeted this.
#24Sep Este es el libro que leía mientras @realDonaldTrump, profanaba a la Asamblea General de la #ONU con su discurso xenófobo e imperialista. Que viva Bolívar! Que viva Venezuela! Que viva el pueblo venezolano que no se doblega ante imperio alguno! #HandsOffVenezuela pic.twitter.com/A47SzTEgl8
— Daniela A. Rodríguez M. (@danialerodrimar) September 24, 2019
Thanks to the Huffington Post, we know this translates to…
“This is the book I was reading while @realDonaldTrump desecrated the General Assembly of the #ONU with his xenophobic and imperialist discourse. Long live Bolívar! Long live Venezuela! Long live the Venezuelan people who do not bend to any empire!”
![Bolivar: American Liberator by [Arana, Marie]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rnP2eLtfL.jpg)
Image Via Amazon
For those curious, the book is titled: Bolivar, Heroe, Genio y Pensamiento Universal (Bolivar, hero, genius and universal thinker). Click on the title to check it out on Amazon!
Featured Image Via USA Today