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Demonstrations in Swiss cities against Maduro

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Around 100 demonstrators gathered in front of the Palais Wilson in Geneva on Saturday demanding President Maduro allow humanitarian convoys into Venezuela. Keystone

Several hundred people demonstrated in three Swiss cities on Saturday, demanding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro allow humanitarian aid into the country.

In Geneva, around 80 people gathered in front of the Palais Wilson – the seat of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. According to the Geneva Police, the demonstrators, mainly Venezuelan nationals, denounced President Nicolas Maduro’s regime, which has been blocking much-needed food and medical supplies from entering the country.

“Every person here knows a political prisoner or has at least one relative [in Venezuela] suffering because of a lack of medicines,” explained Venezuelan national Maria Alejandra Aristeguieta to news agency Keystone-SDA. Aristeguieta said that she has recently been appointed by the opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as diplomatic representative to Switzerland and the United Nations Office in Geneva.

Displaying posters in French, English and Spanish, the demonstrators also demanded an end to Maduro’s “illegal government”, the establishment of a transitional government and free elections. Similar demonstrations took place on Saturday in Zurich and Basel. In Zurich, the rally was attended by nearly 200 people.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR