In Venezuela, widespread protests have erupted in response to the contested outcome of last month’s presidential election, in which Nicolás Maduro claimed victory.
María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader, rallied thousands of demonstrators in Caracas, urging them to remain resolute.
Having previously been in hiding due to charges of insurrection, Machado declared, “There is nothing above the voice of the people,” emphasizing that the public had spoken.
As supporters of Maduro organized their demonstrations, the police and military were deployed in significant numbers.
Machado addressed the crowd, many of whom displayed their voting records as evidence of electoral victory, stating, “We won’t leave the streets.”
Machado had called for intensified protests to pressure Maduro into conceding. Many protesters were determined to continue their efforts.
“This is a criminal government that wants to hold on to power. I smell freedom, I have nothing to fear,” Adriana Calzadilla told AFP.
Medical student Jose Berbin expressed hope that Maduro would “recognise his defeat and hand over the power peacefully,” while also predicting that the regime would become more repressive.
“We all need to unite against the dictatorship and show that good people are more,” Berbin said to Reuters.
Maduro maintains he won a third term with 52% of the vote, though the opposition claims its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won by a significant margin.
From an undisclosed location, Gonzalez called for an “orderly transition.”
Maduro, at a rival rally, ridiculed Gonzalez, suggesting he was “living in a cave.”
The electoral commission, which is aligned with Maduro, has withheld detailed results but confirmed his victory.
Independent observers criticized the lack of transparency.
Since the election, anti-government protests have intensified, leading to the arrest of hundreds by security forces loyal to Maduro.
The Venezuelan government reports over 2,400 detentions since the election results were announced on July 29.
The UN has condemned the government’s harsh response to street protests and social media criticism.
Demonstrations have spread globally, occurring in cities from Australia to Spain, as well as in the UK, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina.
The European Union, the United States, and several Latin American countries have declined to recognize the election results.
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