Small groups of opposition protesters gathered on Saturday in Venezuela, joined by supporters abroad, marking two months since the country's contentious election that President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is in hiding after denouncing the election results as fraudulent, urged for smaller gatherings to prevent security crackdowns seen in previous protests.
Approximately 30 individuals chanted slogans at a Caracas plaza, including Leida Brito, known as the 'Red Helmet Grandmother' due to her years of anti-government activism. 'Nicolas Maduro should leave because he lost,' she declared, holding a sign that read: 'To defend the vote is a right.' 'The freedom of Venezuela is in danger,' stated Hidalgo Valero, a retired colonel, to AFP. 'Today, our people are afraid to be in the streets because of the severe repression,' he added.
Machado addressed her supporters via a voice note released by her team: 'Here we are standing firm, advancing every day with more strength and enthusiasm, gathered here as the brave and good Venezuela.' Dozens of opposition leaders have been arrested since the disputed election, along with over 2,400 other Venezuelans accused of 'terrorism' for allegedly participating in protests. Twenty-seven people were killed in the post-election clashes.
The opposition claims its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won the July 28 election with 67% of the vote, releasing their own tally of polling station-level results. However, Maduro was declared the winner with 52% of the vote by the pro-government National Electoral Council (CNE), which has yet to release detailed voting results as mandated by law. Gonzalez Urrutia, a 75-year-old retired diplomat, left Venezuela this month seeking asylum in Spain after weeks in hiding.
Larger protests also occurred outside Venezuela, including in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Panama City, and Montevideo. In Madrid, Gonzalez Urrutia greeted supporters waving the Venezuelan flag. Meanwhile, hundreds of Maduro supporters marched in Caracas to celebrate the election victory. Maduro told the crowd that the 'supposed queen bee,' referring to Machado, 'is starting to pack her Gucci suitcases... she is preparing to leave too.' 'We are not in Madrid, we are not hiding, we are in the street,' he proclaimed.
On Thursday, around 30 countries led by the United States and Argentina urged Maduro to engage in dialogue with the opposition. In a joint statement, these countries called for 'constructive and inclusive discussions' on a democratic transition and the immediate release of Venezuelans detained in the election aftermath.
