Maracaibo, Venezuela – The journey from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, to the coastal city of Maracaibo should typically take around nine hours, but for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, it took nearly 12 hours. Machado, a prominent figure in the opposition, has been traveling in the final days leading up to Venezuela’s presidential elections to support candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who hopes to unseat President Nicolas Maduro.

While traveling between the cities, Machado noted that government forces had blocked roads, and gas stations were unexpectedly closed along the route. During a press conference at her party’s headquarters in Maracaibo on July 24, she stated that these obstacles are simply the last gasp of an authoritarian regime struggling to maintain power. “This is a confession from a regime that knows it has been defeated,” said Machado.

Venezuelans will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a president. However, Maduro’s popularity has waned, and he trails Gonzalez by significant margins. A victory for the opposition could even end nearly 25 years of socialist rule. Nonetheless, the opposition warns that Maduro will not concede without a fight.

Machado, who was once a frontrunner in the presidential race and won the opposition’s primary election with 92.5 percent of the votes, has been barred from running in the election. The Venezuelan Supreme Court upheld a ban on her candidacy in January, and she has also been prevented from traveling by air.

Despite this, she continues to mobilize voters for her successor, Gonzalez. One of her campaign events in Maracaibo attracted about 200,000 participants, according to her party, Vente Venezuela. However, her team has faced strong resistance from the government. In one instance, six individuals were detained by the national police for organizing equipment for her rally.

Machado’s campaign has also suffered from severe harassment. Five of her staff members have sought asylum at the Argentine embassy in Caracas to avoid arrest. Her security chief was recently detained arbitrarily, and her campaign vehicles have been vandalized.

Nevertheless, Machado reports unexpected support. For years, motorcycle gangs known as “motorizados” have roamed the streets harassing opposition members. Now, some motorcyclists have switched sides, weary of the economic and political instability under Maduro’s rule. “They’ve gone from being a threat to becoming a shield,” said Machado.

However, it is not just opposition leaders facing repression. According to human rights organization Foro Penal, there have been 149 documented cases of arbitrary detention of political activists since the campaign began on July 4. The Maduro government’s tactics have thus led to an escalation of threats against anyone associated with the opposition.

In the weeks leading up to the election, questions have arisen regarding the integrity of the vote. Critical polling stations have been shut down, and the ballots feature Maduro’s name 13 times compared to just three for Gonzalez. The government has also closed five local news channels that criticized its administration.

Despite all the obstacles, opposition leaders and supporters hope for a convincing victory in the elections. This hope also sustains imprisoned activist Aldo Roso Vargas, who can only communicate with his family through intermediaries. For him and many other Venezuelans, this election represents a last chance for change.