Protestors in Charleston, South Carolina, rallied in Marion Square on Sunday against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. The event, dubbed “No War Against Venezuela,” drew groups calling for diplomacy over escalation. This aligns with your interest in Lowcountry community events and regional civic activities.​
Event Details
Organizers included Charleston chapters of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Democratic Socialists of America, Lowcountry Action Committee, and others like Charleston Climate Coalition. They gathered to oppose war funding and demand focus on U.S. domestic needs such as infrastructure and healthcare. A follow-up protest by Indivisible Charleston featured U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews and Pastor Thomas Dixon.​​
Key Speakers’ Views
Shaquille Fontenot of Lowcountry Action Committee warned of precedents for domestic overreach, linking it to past U.S. actions in Iraq and Palestine. Max Sorgenfrey of Charleston DSA urged respecting global democratic order to avoid U.S. overextension. Andrews emphasized “diplomacy first, war last,” while counter-protester Andrew Clay prioritized U.S. protection.​
Broader Context
The protests followed Operation Absolute Resolve, a U.S. raid on January 3, 2026, involving airstrikes on Caracas, Delta Force extraction of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and their transfer to New York for narco-terrorism charges. Similar demonstrations occurred at South Carolina’s State House in Columbia. President Trump described it as a law enforcement success against Maduro’s alleged cartel ties.
