Written by Vivian Secuela and Mircely Guanipa
CARACAS/MARACAY (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition and its supporters, including leader María Colina Machado who went into hiding, spent 11 hours across the country on Thursday, a day before putting pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. held a protest. He is scheduled to serve a third six-year term.
Opposition parties and the ruling party remain in a dispute over last year’s presidential election, which both sides claim to have won.
The country’s election authorities and Supreme Court have said Mr. Maduro, who has suffered a severe economic and social crisis during his time in office, won the July vote, although they have not released detailed tallies.
The government has accused the rebels of fomenting a fascist plot, announced that opposition leader Edmundo González will be arrested if he returns to the country, and announced the arrest of prominent opposition lawmakers ahead of the inauguration. and activists are being detained.
Opposition parties claim Gonzalez, 75, won by a landslide. It released its own vote tallies as evidence and won support from governments around the world, including the United States, which considers Gonzalez the next president.
Machado, the country’s most popular opposition leader but barred from running as a candidate in 2024, was seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans at around 2:20 p.m. local time (2:20 p.m. Japan time). Participated in a protest in Chacao, eastern Caracas. A Venezuelan flag was waving from the top of the truck.
“They have lost the streets that are ours and are barricading themselves in Miraflores (presidential palace),” Machado told the crowd. “From today we enter a new phase.”
It was her first public appearance since going into hiding in an unknown location in August.
Machado, 57, urged protesters to peacefully flood the streets and repeatedly called on police and military personnel guarding polling stations during the election to support Gonzalez’s victory. did.
“I’m not scared. I lost my fear a long time ago,” Negris Payares, 70, a former central bank official, said at a morning gathering with other opposition supporters in the western city of Caracas.
“We don’t know how many of them are on our side,” she added, pointing to security forces gathered near the protest.
Reuters witnesses estimated that about 7,000 people had gathered in Caracas by around 2:20 p.m. local time. Thousands of people also took to the streets in the days after the election.
Maduro, 62, has been in power since 2013. He has vocal support from leaders of the military and intelligence agencies, which are run by close allies of the powerful interior minister, Diosdado Cabello.
“I am confident that nothing will happen,” Cabello said on state television on Monday. “But that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down.”
Banktrust, a London investment bank, said in a note that the military’s economic interests were unlikely to cause a change in loyalty. “A limited military uprising would pose significant risks to those involved and reduce incentives to participate,” the report reads.
“We don’t have jobs”
Security forces have set up checkpoints across the country.
In the western oil city of Maracaibo, dozens of counter-demonstrators were quickly dispersed by security forces on motorcycles by early morning. In central Valencia, protesters were initially tear gassed before gathering elsewhere.
Opposition supporters also gathered in San Cristobal Island near the Colombian border, the western city of Barquisimeto, and the eastern city of Puerto Ordaz.
“I’m here because we need to get rid of this government. We have no money and no jobs,” Loisa Gomez, a 62-year-old housewife, said at a protest in the central city of Maracay. spoke. “I’m fighting for every vote I cast for Edmundo Gonzalez. They can’t steal the election.”
Shortly after, security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters in Maracay.
Many of the demonstrators are retirees who say they want changes so the children and grandchildren of immigrants can return to their country. More than 7 million Venezuelans live abroad.
The ruling party has held counter-demonstrations across the country, footage of which was shown on state television.
“We came out to show that democracy exists. On this side we have patriots who take the oath with Nicolas (Maduro), and on the other side we have (foreign) intervention, wars, selling the country. There are fascists who want that,” said Manual Rincon, 50, a motorbike taxi driver in Caracas.
Gonzalez has been touring the Americas this week, meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser, and has repeatedly promised to return to Venezuela, but has not provided details on how. has not been made clear.
An arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez on conspiracy charges and he fled to Spain in September.
Machado is under investigation by the attorney general in at least two cases, but no warrants against her have been made public.
The government detained several prominent politicians and activists, including a former presidential candidate. The attorney general’s office announced this week that it had released more than 1,500 of the 2,000 people, including teenagers, detained during post-election protests.
Venezuelans living abroad also protested, including in Madrid, where Gonzalez’s daughter Carolina Gonzalez spoke to hundreds of demonstrators.
“My father sends you all a hug. Glory to the brave people of Venezuela,” she said, her voice breaking.
