On October 12th, in solidarity with the "Day of the Indigenious Resistence" and the Global Pachamerican day of action in support of the Bolivarian Revolution, a group of 100-200 Bolivarians gathered in Plaza Venezuela to topple the statue of Christopher Columbus. The statue was sucessfully toppled, but three arrests were made by the police controlled by Freddy Bernal, the Chavista Mayor of Alcaldia Libertador in Caracas. To the shock of all the participants, the Bolivarian Government has denounced the act and Freddy Bernal has accepted money from Italy to restore the statue.

In response the arrests the participants in the action have come forward to claim responsibility for the action. They have offered and ultimatum to the government to either admit the legitimacy of the action and free all prisoners or arrest all of them. Over 90 participants have stepped forward and provided their full names and i.d. numbers on a manifesto of responsibility. The government, however, has refused their ultimatum and has vowed to charge the three prisoners currently being held. Solidarity with the prisoners and the topplers is urgents!!! Please go to www.indymediapr.org/features/venezuela/ for more information about the action, prisoners, and international solidarity.
We are asking groups to contact their local Venezuelan consulate with letters, faxes, phone calls and protests for the release of the prisoners!!!