Opposition supporters across Venezuela have taken to the streets to protest Nicolas Maduro’s contested victory in the recent presidential election. María Corina Machado, the opposition leader, joined thousands of demonstrators in Caracas, urging them to remain fearless in their stand.
Machado, who had been in hiding following accusations of insurrection, declared that nothing supersedes the voice of the people, emphasizing that they had already spoken. As police and military forces were deployed, supporters of Maduro also held their own demonstration.
“We won’t leave the streets,” Machado proclaimed to the crowd, many of whom held up copies of election records as evidence of their claim to victory. Machado, barred from running in the election, called for nationwide protests to increase pressure on Maduro to step down.
Among the determined protesters was Adriana Calzadilla, who stated, “This is a criminal government clinging to power. I feel the winds of freedom and have nothing to fear.” Similarly, Jose Berbin, a medical student, expressed hope that Maduro would peacefully acknowledge his defeat. However, he also warned of the possibility of increased repression, calling for unity against what he termed a dictatorship.
Maduro, meanwhile, has insisted that he legitimately won a third six-year term, despite the opposition’s release of vote tallies showing their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the true victor. Speaking from an undisclosed location, Gonzalez called for an “orderly transition” of power.
At his own rally, Maduro mocked Gonzalez, claiming he was “living in a cave.” The electoral commission, which is aligned with Maduro, has withheld detailed results but declared his victory with 52% of the vote. Independent observers criticized the process for lacking transparency.
