Venezuela's global protest. (Tradetalk).

Political turbulence in Venezuela has gone global. "The international community can no longer be passive. It has to take on a greater role." Timoteo Zambrano, an anti-administration member of Venezuela's National Assembly, told a group of bankers during a meeting at the Americas Society in New York. Almost on cue, a gaggle of pro-government protesters crashed the presentation, shouting that Zambrano and others were "guilty of economic sabotage!"

In Miami, tens of thousands of Venezuelans, anti-Castro Cubans and others marched down Calle Ocho to protest the Venezuelan government's intransigence. Complete with cacerola-zos--banging on pots and pans--flag waving and shouting, the so-called Mega March mirrored a similar protest in Caracas the sarne day.

A far more sedate but no less significant event was the "Grupo de Amigos de Venezuela" meeting, organized by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the inauguration of Ecuadoran President Lucic Gutierrez in Quito. The leaders of Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States support Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gavirias bid to achieve a solution to the continuing political and economic crisis.