Thousands of Venezuelans, led by prominent opposition figure María Corina Machado, took to the streets across the country on Saturday to protest President Nicolás Maduro’s controversial re-election. Machado, who had been in hiding due to threats of arrest, made a dramatic appearance in Caracas, riding in a truck with a banner reading “Venezuela has won!”
Machado, who supported Edmundo González Urrutia’s candidacy after being barred from running herself, declared that González Urrutia had won 67 percent of the vote, although he was not present at the rally. Supporters chanted “Freedom!” as Machado’s truck passed, and she told the crowd, “We have never been so strong as today,” adding that “the regime has never been weaker.”
Fears of Repression and Violence
Despite the show of strength, many opposition supporters are apprehensive, recalling the severe repression during Maduro’s previous administration in 2017, which resulted in around 100 deaths. Activist Katiusca Camargo highlighted the ongoing fears, noting, “We have dead, wounded, detainees, missing people… People know it. They are afraid.”
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Maduro Mobilizes Supporters
In response, Maduro called for “the mother of all marches” later in the day. He accused the opposition of planning attacks on security forces during their rallies. His supporters, numbering in the thousands, marched towards the presidential palace, rallying under the banner of “national peace.”
International Reactions and Controversies
The Venezuelan electoral authority, aligned with Maduro, declared him the winner with 52 percent of the vote compared to González Urrutia’s 43 percent. This result has been contested by several countries including the United States, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay. The opposition has launched a website publishing 84 percent of the ballots cast, claiming this evidence shows a clear victory for González Urrutia, although the government dismisses these as forgeries.
European Union leaders, including those from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, have expressed “strong concern” and urged Venezuela to release all voting records to ensure transparency and integrity in the electoral process. Maduro has responded to international criticism by labeling the fraud allegations as a “trap” set by Washington to justify a “coup.”
Continued Strife and Emigration
Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013, has overseen a drastic economic decline, with a GDP drop of 80 percent, prompting over seven million Venezuelans to emigrate.
While Saturday’s rallies were relatively peaceful compared to the violent protests earlier in the week, which led to 11 deaths and over 1,000 arrests according to the NGO Foro Penal, tensions remain high. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern for the safety of Machado and González Urrutia and congratulated González Urrutia on receiving the most votes.
In Bogotá, Venezuelan émigrés gathered in Plaza de Bolívar to protest Maduro’s re-election. Colombia, which hosts around three million of the seven million Venezuelans who have fled, has seen many of its residents yearning for peace and a return to their homeland. “We don’t want violence, we just want him to leave, we only want peace,” said 43-year-old Maudie Lopez. “I want to return to my country.”
Maduro’s prior re-election in 2018 was similarly disputed by numerous Latin American countries, the United States, and European Union members. Despite this, he retains support from the military, electoral bodies, courts, and allies like Russia, China, and Cuba.
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