THOUSANDS took to the streets of Venezuela on Saturday to demand the release of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

The two were kidnapped during the January 3 United States attack on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and the states of Aragua, Miranda and La Guaira during which some 100 people were killed.

At a rally in the capital Caracas, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who is also general secretary of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), slammed the continuing efforts of the administration of US President Donald Trump to “bend the will of the nation.”

He told the thousands of protesters that the loyalty of the Venezuelan government to the Bolivarian project is “absolute and that the struggle will not cease until we bring back the constitutional president.”

Mr Cabello called for continued support for the leadership of acting president Delcy Rodriguez, to maintain continuity of leadership.

He emphasised that “national unity is the key to defeating Washington’s fascist pretensions to impose its ideology by force.”

Acting President Rodriguez visited homes and spoke with families affected by the illegal US military attack.

The acting president said that “there can be no economic peace without social peace” and stressed that the government’s will is “guided by our Father Liberator, Simon Bolivar, to bring happiness to our people; to guarantee the future to our children.”

Ms Rodriguez pointed out that during the US attacks “homes were completely destroyed and 64 families” affected.

She emphasised that “these are civilian urbanisations, where people live who do not have any type of military status nor are they involved in the area of security. It is a civilian population that was hit by missiles.”

The acting president added: “We also know that the dignity of the Venezuelan people is the first shield we have to preserve our integrity as a people, territorial integrity, and national independence.”