By JKNewsMedia
A SPIRITED gathering in Abuja commemorated Venezuela’s 214th year of independence as the Bolivarian Republic’s embassy in Nigeria hosted diplomats, civil society leaders and activists in a defiant celebration of sovereignty and solidarity.
Venezuela’s Independence Day, marked annually on 5th July, honours the 1811 declaration that ended Spanish colonial rule.
The landmark decision emerged after two days of deliberations by the First National Constituent Congress, setting the foundation for a nation that would later fight new battles on different fronts.
Addressing the audience, His Excellency Alberto Castelar, Ambassador of Venezuela to Nigeria, reaffirmed the legacy of liberation that began with Simón Bolívar and was later shaped by Commandant Hugo Chávez.
Ambassador Castelar credited Chávez for altering the country’s political direction and highlighted President Nicolás Maduro’s role in maintaining that trajectory.
He described the current struggle as one against “imperialism, capitalism and fascism,” drawing attention to recent immigration tensions between Venezuela and the United States.
A poignant example was the case of Maikelys Espinoza, a Venezuelan toddler recently reunited with her mother following deportation proceedings in the United States (US).
The parents, who had sought asylum, were accused of links to the Tren de Aragua gang.
Diplomatic negotiations led to the child’s return, while the father remains detained in El Salvador, with efforts ongoing to secure his release.
Ambassador Castelar stressed the strong ties between Venezuela and Nigeria, citing a “cordial diplomatic relationship” between the two nations.
He thanked the Nigerian people for their enduring solidarity.
The event also drew support from local human rights advocates and labour leaders. Comrade Martin Egabanubi, General Secretary of the National Union of Health and Allied Professionals (NUAHP), and Comrade Gerald Katchy of the Committee for Defence of Human Rights praised Venezuela’s resilience.
They publicly congratulated the ambassador and lauded the nation’s defiance against what they called “US bullying.”
Among the prominent attendees were Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, Coordinator of the Anti-Fascist Movement, Comrade Blessing Yusuf, Chairperson of the Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON), Mr Charles C. Agubor, Executive Director of Committed Advocates Of Integrity Initiative (CADII), and Mr Abiodun Emmanuel Fayemi, Head of the African Farmers and Agricultural Practitioners (AFAP).
The celebration concluded with renewed calls for a world liberated from economic sanctions and political oppression, echoing the revolutionary spirit Venezuela declared over two centuries ago.
