Opposition supporters have taken to the streets across Venezuela to protest Nicolas Maduro’s contested victory in last month’s presidential election. Opposition leader María Corina Machado joined thousands of demonstrators in Caracas, urging them to stand firm and unafraid.
Having been in hiding after accusations of insurrection, Machado declared that nothing was more powerful than the voice of the people, who had clearly expressed their will. Police and military forces were out in full strength as Maduro supporters also held rallies.
“We won’t leave the streets,” Machado assured the crowd, many of whom waved copies of election records as proof of victory. She had called for nationwide protests to increase pressure on Maduro to step down.
Protesters appeared resolute. “This is a criminal government clinging to power. I smell freedom and have no fear,” said Adriana Calzadilla, as quoted by AFP. “I hope Maduro recognises his defeat and hands over power peacefully,” medical student Jose Berbin told Reuters.
Maduro, however, has maintained that he won a third six-year term. The opposition released tallies claiming their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won by a wide margin. Speaking from an undisclosed location, Gonzalez called for an “orderly transition,” while Maduro mocked him, saying he was “living in a cave.”
The electoral commission, controlled by Maduro’s allies, has refused to release detailed results but declared that he won with 52% of the vote. Independent observers criticized the process for lacking transparency.
