Fresh off Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto's primetime shoutout during the 86th annual Academy Awards, organizers working with the Venezuelan opposition aren't finished lobbying for your attention.
On Saturday, they want the world to join in for a global day of action in an effort to raise awareness about why anti-government protesters have been demonstrating around Venezuela over the past month.
See also: Protests Sweep Venezuela: Answers to 6 Key Questions
"SOS Venezuela is doing a second round of gatherings around the world this weekend," SOS Venezuela founder Haydee Izaguirre told Mashable. "The first gatherings, which took place of Feb. 22, asked the groups to create a human SOS." This week's demonstrations, which will be held in cities across the U.S. and Europe, are meant to gain signatures for letters.
"The objective of the gatherings is to create public awareness of what is happening in Venezuela," Izaguirre said. "The letter is to get elected officials to take a stand and denounce the human rights violations that are taking place in Venezuela."
According to Human Rights Watch, security forces in Venezuela have used "excessive and unlawful force against protesters on multiple occasions since Feb. 12, including beating detainees and shooting at crowds of unarmed people. It has also blocked transmission of a TV channel and threatened to prosecute news outlets for their coverage of the violence. Journalists and human rights defenders have reported violence and intimidation by government agents and supporters."
Two were killed in the protests on Thursday "in a confused melee sparked by the opposition's barricading of a Caracas street," Reuters reported, raising the total number of deaths to 20.
By organizing protests outside of their home country, the organizers of SOS Venezuela are hopeful both Venezuelans from afar and their elected leaders will grow sympathetic to their month's long efforts.
"These are ways that the community of Venezuelans outside of Venezuela — that currently feel powerless for not being able to take part in the demonstrations in Venezuela — can play a role in supporting the work the students are doing in country," Izaguirre said.
The map below plots the planned protests around the world:

This is the letter that SOS Venezuela will provide to protest organizers to hand out at demonstrations this weekend.
SOS Venezuela's Letter for Your Representative

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