Bowling Green native Gail Wolgast holds a sign condemning the military operation in Venezuela during SOKY Indivisible’s protest against Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro’s arrest under President Donald Trump on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Von Smith)
Passing drivers honked their horns and revved their engines behind thumbs up and middle fingers as community members protested the United States’ military action in Venezuela.
Local advocacy group SOKY Indivisible organized the protest Monday on the corners of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. SOKY Indivisible said on Facebook the protest was to “stand up to war crimes” and “constitutional violations.”
Early Saturday morning, the United States attacked Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro and Flores are being held in New York City and recently pleaded not guilty to charges relating to narco-terrorism.
A passerby shows the middle finger and shouts obscenities at SOKY Indivisible’s protestors during a demonstration against Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro’s arrest under President Donald Trump on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Von Smith)
Following the attack, President Donald Trump announced the United States would “run” Venezuela and take control of its vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, according to the Associated Press.
Michael Gramling, an organizer with SOKY Indivisible, said he believes the attack was just to take Venezuela’s oil, and people were killed to take it.
“It’s just…wrong to drop bombs on people,” Gramling said.
Protestors (from left) Christie Case, Teresa Christmas and Denise Zielinski gather on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane during SOKY Indivisible’s protest against the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro under President Donald Trump on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. “I don’t want to be here, I resent that I have to do this,” Christmas (center) said, “I am here for my kids. I don’t want it to be like this and I don’t want my kids to live like this.” (Von Smith)Bowling Green native Brenton Hippler holds up his sign protesting the controversial arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro under President Donald Trump during SOKY Indivisible’s demonstration on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Von Smith)
Protester Tim Decker said he has mixed feelings about the attack on Venezuela. He believes taking down Maduro is good, but disagrees with how the operation was handled.
“Bombing a country straightforward is not the way in my view,” Decker said.
Decker also brought his sound system to play protest songs to “add to the message.”
Aidan Rodgers, who watched the protest from the Speedway gas station, said he enjoyed the music they were playing. Rodgers said he agreed with several of the protest signs but didn’t join because he had just gotten off work.
“I respect (they’re) putting the actual effort into it instead of just posting on social media,” Rodgers said.
SOKY Indivisible protestors hold signs drawing comparisons to the United States’ war against Vietnam during SOKY Indivisible’s protest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest under President Donald Trump on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Von Smith)SOKY Indivisible held a protest against the detainment of Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro under President Donald Trump on the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane in Bowling Green, Ky. on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The United Nations Security Council condemned the U.S.’s raid against Venezuela, stating that the Trump administration had violated the U.N. charter during its operation according to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres. (Von Smith)
