A South Korean progressive political group is proceeding with screenings of a biographical documentary about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, even as the United States confirms his arrest and legal action following a military operation involving Venezuela.
According to political and labor groups, 21st Century Che Guevara, an organization affiliated with South Korea’s People’s Democratic Party, plans to screen Part 1 of the documentary film Nicolás at the Incheon headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions at 6:30 p.m. on the 8th of this month. A screening of Part 2 is scheduled to take place in Seoul in January.
The film chronicles Maduro’s political path from his early involvement as a labor union activist to his rise to the presidency. Produced by the Venezuelan group Artists for the Future, the documentary consists of seven parts, some of which were released earlier last month.
The Venezuelan government screened the film nationwide in major theaters in December, and state broadcaster Venezuela TV reported on the screenings. The documentary has been promoted by the Maduro administration following his re-election to a third presidential term in 2024, an election that has drawn international scrutiny and allegations of irregularities.
Since last month, 21st Century Che Guevara has organized multiple screenings across South Korea. At a public event in Gongju, a representative of the organization stated that the film was intended to provide an alternative perspective amid what it described as sustained criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
The planned screenings come amid major developments involving the United States and Venezuela. On the 3rd, local time, the U.S. government announced that it had conducted a military operation involving Venezuela and had taken President Maduro into custody. U.S. authorities stated that Maduro was arrested on charges including drug trafficking and money laundering and is expected to stand trial at a federal court in Manhattan.
Following news of the arrest, the People’s Democratic Party and 21st Century Che Guevara released a joint statement calling for the United States to end its actions toward Venezuela and to release President Maduro. The statement criticized U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela and urged international solidarity, while U.S. officials have not commented on the statement from the South Korean groups.
