EspañolThis year, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro was burnt instead of Judas.

All over Venezuela, rag dolls with the faces of the country’s dictatorship were set ablaze while law enforcement worked to prevent the tradition from taking place.

As a symbol of “mob justice,” each Easter Sunday, Venezuelans participate in the religious tradition of “burning Judas,” but this year it was an opportunity for the Venezuelan opposition to protest Maduro and his allies.

Venezuelans burnt dolls of Supreme Court judges, Venezuelan politician Tarek William Saab, Director of the CNE Tibisay Lucena and several governors and mayors who sympathize with Chavez’s legacy.

ASeveral political parties opposing Maduro invited people to gather with their effigies so as to hold a joint burning in important areas across various cities.

In the state of Vargas, Governor Jorge García Carneiro, who sympathizes with the Maduro regime, ordered state police to collect all Judas dolls dressed like him and Maduro, as well as to prevent any other traditional burnings. In the state of Miranda, similar events took place, as security personnel was deployed to prevent the tradition from taking place.

Maduro en su desesperación por ocultar que es el Judas del país,ordena a la Guardia Nacional retirarlos!Igualito el Pueblo está claro! pic.twitter.com/Rrm1yA8wEA — Henrique Capriles R. (@hcapriles) April 16, 2017





Following the Supreme Court’s coup d’état of the National Assembly — usurping all of its legislative functions — the Venezuelan opposition has called for more demonstrations in the coming weeks.

See the most creative Judas

Maduro ordena a GNB quitar figuras de la quema de Judas con su cara, asegura Capriles https://t.co/7nENC8qqj7 pic.twitter.com/6qAaqa9vvO — Noticias Venezuela (@NoticiasVenezue) April 17, 2017

Capriles confirmed that Maduro ordered police to remove Judas dolls with his face.

SE LLEVÓ EL PREMIO Muñecos con el rostro de Maduro lideran la quema de judas https://t.co/uibmtMxQZ8 pic.twitter.com/VGg8qcLbts — TalCualDigital.com (@DiarioTalCual) April 16, 2017

WE HAVE A WINNER. Dolls with Maduro’s face lead the burning of Judas.

Tweet: INVITATION to Burn Judas today at 3pm.

Source: El Nuevo Herald; El Nacional