In the hours following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a wave of protests appeared across major US cities with remarkable speed and coordination. According to reporting by Fox News, a cluster of US-based socialist, Marxist and communist organisations moved swiftly from online messaging to street mobilisation, framing the arrest as an act of “imperial aggression” and calling for resistance to what they describe as the American empire.The response unfolded overnight, beginning on social media before translating into physical demonstrations by morning. Protest calls shared identical language, graphics and slogans, urging supporters to take part in what organisers described as an “emergency day of action”. By daylight, rallies were under way in cities including New York and Washington, DC, with organisers claiming participation across dozens of locations nationwide.At the centre of the mobilisation were long-established activist groups that openly describe their ideology as anti-imperialist and socialist. Among those amplifying the calls were the ANSWER Coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the New York-based The People’s Forum. Messages circulated by these organisations portrayed Maduro’s capture not as a law-enforcement or military operation, but as an illegal act of regime change driven by US power and corporate interests. The early framing proved crucial. Within minutes of reports emerging from Caracas, sympathetic media platforms and activist accounts labelled the operation an “illegal bombing” and a “kidnapping”, language that was quickly repeated across networks. The consistency of tone and timing suggested preparation rather than spontaneous outrage, with posts cascading in a staggered but disciplined sequence that moved supporters from commentary to action.As the morning progressed, international and domestic narratives began to overlap. Statements condemning the US operation from activist leaders echoed language used by governments allied with Caracas, reinforcing claims of aggression and imperial overreach. Protest organisers urged participants to see Venezuela not as an isolated case, but as part of a broader struggle against US dominance, capitalism and what they call global exploitation.The protests themselves followed a familiar pattern seen in earlier movements opposing US foreign policy. Demonstrators carried professionally printed signs, chanted rehearsed slogans and shared livestreams that were immediately reposted across aligned platforms. Speakers at rallies framed the moment as part of a long-running ideological battle, urging supporters to prepare for sustained mobilisation rather than a single day of protest.Beyond opposition to Maduro’s capture, the rhetoric extended to domestic aims. Organisers repeatedly described their mission as dismantling “American imperialism” and replacing the current political and economic system with socialist alternatives. In speeches and online broadcasts, activists characterised the protests as a home-front extension of a global struggle, linking events in Venezuela to broader campaigns against US institutions, corporations and foreign policy.By the afternoon, protest footage and commentary dominated the same channels that had launched the overnight calls, reinforcing the sense of momentum. Organisers celebrated the speed of the response as proof of a mature and ready network, capable of activating supporters within hours of a major geopolitical development.
