Venezuela's opposition, asserting their victory in the presidential elections they believe were hijacked by President Nicolas Maduro, assembled in large numbers in Caracas and other locations on Saturday, pledging to continue their struggle 'to the end.' Demonstrations took place in multiple Venezuelan cities and even in countries like Spain, Belgium, and Australia, in response to a call by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for a 'Protest for the Truth.' Machado, who emerged from hiding to lead a rally in the capital, aimed to increase pressure on Maduro to acknowledge what she and others claim was a decisive win for opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in the July 28 elections.
'We won't retreat from the streets,' Machado declared to thousands of protesters, many of whom waved the national flag and displayed election records from their voting stations as evidence of their victory. 'Peaceful protest is our right,' she emphasized as the crowd chanted 'Liberty! Liberty!' and tried to get closer to the highly popular politician. Authorities later seized the open-top truck that Machado uses as a stage at rallies, according to a post from her Comando Con Venezuela alliance.
Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner for a third six-year term until 2031, securing 52 percent of the votes, but without providing a detailed breakdown of the results. The opposition claims that results from individual polling stations indicate that Gonzalez Urrutia received over two-thirds of the votes. Gonzalez Urrutia replaced Machado on the ballot after she was disqualified by institutions loyal to the regime.
'This is a criminal government intent on clinging to power. I sense freedom, I have nothing to fear,' said Adriana Calzadilla, a 55-year-old teacher, to AFP in Caracas, where National Guard officers and police were heavily present. Another protester, 42-year-old economist Iliana Alvarean, admitted to 'feeling fear.' 'One never stops feeling it due to the repression. But we want him (Maduro) out. We are here until the end.' No incidents were reported from the rallies, which occurred under significant security measures.
Maduro on Saturday accused Gonzalez Urrutia, who was last seen at a protest on July 30, of attempting to flee the country. 'He's hiding in a cave. And he's planning his escape from Venezuela. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is taking the money and heading to Miami,' Maduro told supporters at a rally outside the Miraflores presidential palace. He has demanded the arrest of Machado and Gonzalez Urrutia, accusing them of plotting a 'coup d'etat.' Gonzalez Urrutia remained resolute in a post earlier in the day: 'We have the votes, the records, the support of the international community, and Venezuelans determined to fight. It is time for an orderly transition.'
Anti-Maduro protests have resulted in 25 fatalities, nearly 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests since election day. In Australia, over 100 Venezuelans rallied in Sydney as part of the first overseas demonstrations on Saturday. Thousands more protested across Spain, which hosts about 280,000 of the nearly eight million Venezuelans who have fled the country amid economic collapse under Maduro, who has been in office since 2013. There were also rallies in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, where 34-year-old Andreina Escalante expressed hope for escaping the dictatorship while holding her two-year-old daughter. She dreams of returning to Venezuela, which she left over five years ago.
Maduro's claim of victory has been contested by the United States, the European Union, and several Latin American countries. However, thousands of his supporters gathered in Caracas and other cities on Saturday. 'The Venezuelan people have endured too many blockades, too many attacks, and this new attack we will overcome,' said 46-year-old community leader Aurimar Nieves to AFP, referring to US sanctions. The CNE claims it has been unable to release the vote breakdown due to a 'cyber terrorist attack' on its systems, although the Carter Center observer mission found no evidence to support this claim. The opposition asserts it has access to 80 percent of the paper ballots cast, which indicate a clear win for Gonzalez Urrutia. Maduro's reelection in 2018 was also rejected by the United States, the European Union, and numerous other countries.
