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Opposition supporters have taken to the streets across Venezuela in protest against Nicolas Maduro’s contested win in last month’s presidential election.
In Caracas, opposition leader María Corina Machado joined thousands of demonstrators, urging them to stand firm. Having previously gone into hiding following accusations of insurrection, Ms. Machado stressed that nothing supersedes the will of the people, declaring that their voices had been heard.
Authorities responded with a heavy presence of police and military forces, while Maduro’s supporters also held a counter-demonstration. “We will not abandon the streets,” Ms. Machado vowed to the crowd, many of whom waved copies of election results from their polling stations, asserting their belief in victory.
Ms. Machado, who had been barred from running in the election, called for protests across the country to increase the pressure on Maduro to step down. Some protesters appeared resolute. “This government is criminal and clings to power. I sense freedom, and I’m not afraid,” Adriana Calzadilla told AFP.
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“I hope Maduro will accept his loss and peacefully hand over power,” medical student Jose Berbin told Reuters. “But I fear the dictatorship will tighten its grip. We need to unite against it and show that good people outnumber them.”
Maduro, meanwhile, has maintained that he secured a third six-year term, though the opposition released its own figures showing that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had won by a significant margin.
From a secret location, Mr. Gonzalez called for an “orderly transition.”At a rival rally, Maduro ridiculed Gonzalez, claiming he was “hiding in a cave.” The electoral commission, which is controlled by Maduro’s allies, has refused to publish detailed results but declared his victory with 52% of the vote. Independent monitors criticized the process, citing a lack of transparency.
Since the election, anti-government demonstrations have surged, leading to hundreds of arrests by security forces, which remain loyal to Maduro. According to official reports, more than 2,400 people have been detained since the disputed election results were announced on July 29.
The United Nations condemned the government’s harsh crackdown on protests and online dissent, criticizing the “severe repression” faced by demonstrators. Similar protests have erupted worldwide, in cities from Australia to Spain, as well as the UK, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina.
