1 month ago
10
The Opposition has claimed victory in the disputed Venezuelan election in which longtime ruler Nicolas Maduro is accused of rigging and voter suppression read more
 "After days of hiding, Venezuelan Opposition leader Maria Corina holds rally against Maduro")
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado with supporters during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
After days of hiding, Venezuelan Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held a rally against longtime ruler Nicolas Maduro in capital Caracas.
Maduro has held on to power in Venezuela by election fraud, according to Opposition and a host of countries that have rejected the election results. The United States has recognised the Opposition candidate, Edmundo González, as Maduro stands accused of widespread election rigging and voter suppression.
In a rally on Saturday, Machado joined thousands of demonstrators who chanted “Freedom, Freedom”.
Visuals shared by Machado’s supporters showed her waving the Venezuelan flag atop a moving vehicle.
¡Que lo sepa todo el mundo: #GanóVzla! @MariaCorinaYA está aquí, con la gente, y repite: “Nosotros no promovemos la violencia y salir a protestar cívica y pacíficamente no es violencia. No vamos a renunciar a nuestro derecho a la protesta cívica”. pic.twitter.com/1f2QRfldXp
— Comando ConVzla (@ConVzlaComando) August 3, 2024Machado remains the most popular Opposition leader but in the country and, in the months leading to the vote, was widely expected to win. But the crackdown by Maduro’s regime barred her from contesting the election. In her absence from the ballot, the Opposition converged on González and polls ahead of the vote said he was on his way to the victory — until Maduro overturned the result, as per the critics.
‘The regime has never been this weaker’
In an address to her supporters, Machado said that Maduro’s regime had never been as weak as it was now.
Flanked by several Opposition leaders, Machado went on to bring out the contrast between them and the regime.
“We have never been so strong as today… The regime has never been weaker. It has lost all legitimacy,” said Machado, as per AFP.
González, the rightful election winner as per the Opposition and the United States, was absent from the rally. There have been concerns that the regime may make attempts on his life as part of its ongoing crackdown of the Opposition.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Machado said, “We do not promote violence and going out to protest civically and peacefully is not violence. We are not going to give up our right to civic protest.”
Machado’s pitch is in sharp contrast to Maduro who had ahead of the election warned of a “bloodbath” in case he lost.
US rejects Maduro’s victory
Even as the Maduro-controlled election body declared Maduro as the winner with 51.2 per cent vote in his favour, the Opposition claimed González won 70 per cent of votes against Maduro’s 30 per cent. In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the election results were “deeply flawed” and there was “overwhelming evidence” that the Opposition had won.
Blinken denounced Maduro’s threats against Opposition leaders and said the safety of Opposition leaders must be ensured.
“The safety and security of the democratic opposition leaders and members must be protected. All Venezuelans arrested while peacefully exercising their right to participate in the electoral process or demand transparency in the tabulation and announcement of results should be released immediately. Law enforcement and security forces should not become an instrument of political violence used against citizens exercising their democratic rights,” said Blinken.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
English (US) ·