On October 12th 2004, as part of an international day of action in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, the same "revolutionary" government of Venezuela imprisoned three protesters for peacefully toppling a statue of Christopher Columbus in Caracas, after he was found guilty at a popular trial.

Over a hundred activists have taken collective responsibility for the action and demand to stand trial alongside William Escalona, Freddy Tabarquino and Jorge Freites, who have all been refused bail. In Venezuela it appears you can topple the government and just be put under house-arrest, but if you topple a statue they isolate you and take away your human rights.

As they still have not been released, a global day of solidarity action has been called for Thursday 21st October. In London the Hands Off Venezuela campaign shall be picketing the Venezuelan consulate, 56 Grafton Way W1 (off Tottenham Court Rd, nearest tube Warren St) from 3pm-5pm. We shall also be showing Marcelo Andrade's seminal documentary "Venezuela Bolivariana: People & Struggle of the 4th World War" in the evening.

As supporters of the radical government in Venezuela, we will be expressing our criticism of their conduct in as kindly and constructive way as possible, but not without high-lighting the fact that three comrades are still in a Caracas jail facing time for toppling a statue of someone Chávez himself described as being "worse than Hitler".

We appeal to President Chávez to extend tolerance to his allies as well as his enemies, by declaring this action a legitimate protest against a provocative symbol of past cruelties, and to take down all remaining statues of this ignoble, if not plain wicked, conquistador.