Venezuela experienced a day of intense demonstrations inside and outside its borders on Saturday. Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in different parts of the world to express their rejection of the disputed results of the presidential elections that saw the victory of Dictator Nicolás Madurowithout the detailed publication of the results by polling station and electoral table. National Electoral Council (CNE), which is controlled by the regime, refused to release this information, triggering a wave of mistrust and strong rejection from the opposition and the international community.
The voice of the opposition
In Caracas, Opposition leader María Corina Machado led a large march, reaffirming her commitment to transparency and justice in the electoral process. “We will not leave the streets, that is our right,” Machado said, urging her supporters to continue protesting peacefully.
“Violence is their thing. We do not attack other Venezuelans” she added, referring to the dictatorship’s tactic of delegitimizing the opposition movement.
Machado also called on the international community to independently monitor the electoral process, arguing: “Nobody believes this farce they are conducting.”
Her statements underlined the lack of credibility that many Venezuelans feel towards the CNE, an institution at the service of the Maduro regime. “Three weeks and they have not even announced a single number,” she said, alluding to the delay in releasing detailed results.
Unrest and regime response
During the protests, riots broke out in several cities across the country, with Maracay being one of the flashpoints. Police presence was significant in the capital, Caracas, and agents were deployed at the main gathering places. However, the demonstration led by Machado remained largely peaceful, in line with her call to avoid violence.
The Venezuelan opposition has made it clear that it will not leave the streets until a democratic transition is achieved. Under the watchful eyes of the international community and with the opposition more united than ever before, the fight for freedom in Venezuela continues in the hope that this is the beginning of the end of the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
Worldwide support for the Venezuelan cause
The protests were not limited to Venezuela. In cities around the worldVenezuelans in the diaspora gathered to show their solidarity with their compatriots. From Atlanta to MelbourneAcross London, Paris and Seoul, demonstrators chanted slogans for freedom and democracy in their homeland. In London, a group of Venezuelans shouted “Freedom” in front of the parliament building, while in Paris and Dublin the sounds of the Venezuelan national anthem rang out.
The call for the protests was led by the National Campaign Command of Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Venezuelans were called upon via social networks to share images and videos of the demonstrations under the hashtag #YoSalíPorVzla to highlight the movement’s global presence. “The eyes of the world are on Venezuela this Saturday,” was one of the messages calling for mobilization at home and abroad.
International reactions and demands for transparency
International pressure was also felt. The Organization of American States (OAS) issued an urgent resolution last Friday calling on the CNE to publish the protocols of the July 28 presidential elections broken down by polling station. This resolution, supported by the United States and several other countries, highlights the need for an impartial verification to ensure the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela.
Although the Maduro regime has so far ignored these demands, growing pressure from within and without could force it to reconsider its stance. Edmundo Gonzalez, In his message to the protesters, he warned: “Instead of preparing a peaceful transition, the regime has decided to persecute, imprison and murder compatriots who have only asked for their majority to be respected.” The situation in Venezuela remains tense, the political future is uncertain and the population is crying out for democratic and peaceful change.
