 The Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace held a vigil today regarding the U.S. government's treatment of Venezuela. Our A.J. Feldman was there as a group rallied downtown. The BACP braved the weather today to spread their mission of peace. We're a group that believes very strongly in peace, civil liberties and economic justice. Today the group held a hands-off Venezuela vigil that called for an end of U.S. threats, sanctions and interference towards Venezuela. You know the United States should respect Venezuela's sovereignty and its right to self-determination. If the people of Venezuela wish to elect a socialist government that is their right and the United States should get along with Venezuela, have normal diplomatic and trade relations with Venezuela. It's the decision of the people of those countries and we believe the United States should just as we don't want any other country interfering in our internal affairs, we should not be interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and it happens all the time around the world. Larry Fisk has been to Venezuela and says that people he knows there are very concerned about the U.S.'s actions. He said, wait a minute, I just have to ask you one question, Larry. Is your country going to attack my country? So here's this young guy, he's worried that his country is going to turn into like Afghanistan or Iraq or Libya and be destroyed by the United States. The group says it's not just an issue with the Kern administration, it's been an issue as far back as the 1990s. It doesn't matter if it's a Democratic or a Republican administration, we could have done this during the Obama presidency, we could have done this during the Bush presidency. It's been bipartisan unfortunately, the U.S. policy of hostility towards Venezuela. The BACP urges people to contact their representatives and tell them to keep their hands off of Venezuela. We should respect the national sovereignty of every country, every people has their own right to run their own country, to have their own social, religious, economic and political systems. Reporting in Brainert, A.J. Feldman, Lakeland News. The group plans to speak about Venezuela and CLC's Cultural Thursday series later this year.