Caracas, Venezuela – A mini-truck, configured as a small stage, traversed the streets of Caracas on Tuesday bearing the simple message: “He won.” The vehicle transported opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who, along with another candidate, claims to have won the disputed presidential election held on Sunday. Meanwhile, across the city, a government rally took place where the incumbent president, Nicolas Maduro, thanked his supporters for re-electing him. Both sides claimed victory, but celebrations were overshadowed by protests and reports of repression.

Venezuela’s Minister of Justice, an ally of Maduro, announced on Tuesday that 749 “criminals” had been arrested during the demonstrations, facing charges ranging from terrorism to blocking public roads. The human rights organization Foro Penal (Foro Penal) estimated that 11 individuals had been killed by Wednesday.

Experts suggest that the violent response from the Maduro administration is an attempt to suppress opposition and validate the desired election outcomes. “Maduro is trying to cement the reality of this fraud,” said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The reaction to the controversial election began early on Monday morning when Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), dominated by government loyalists, declared that Maduro had won with 51 percent of the votes, while Gonzalez received only 44 percent. However, these results were quickly met with skepticism, as pre-election polls indicated that Gonzalez had a significant lead.

Following the election, Gonzalez and another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, claimed to have access to over 80 percent of the ballots, asserting that Gonzalez actually won with 67 percent of the votes. If true, this would represent the largest victory in over 70 years, surpassed only by Maduro’s claims of victory in 2018.

However, Maduro dismissed the opposition’s claims as an attempt to overthrow the government. “There are attempts to impose a coup d’état in Venezuela again of a fascist and counter-revolutionary nature,” he stated on state television.

Amid the unrest and protests, many Venezuelans, including Cristian Jose Camacaro Guevara, have begun to take to the streets. Camacaro, a 23-year-old designer from a low-income suburb, shared his experience during the protests, recounting encounters with government forces who used tear gas to disperse crowds.

With over 7.7 million people having left Venezuela since 2014, and many considering following suit if the situation does not improve, the country stands at a crossroads. The Maduro administration appears poised to escalate repression in the near future, raising concerns among experts.

“I do not see this as a peaceful process. I see a lot of tension,” said Mercedes De Freitas, founder and director of Transparencia Venezuela. She pointed out that the government needs to demonstrate its power to suppress and control.

International support is also divided, with countries like Mexico asserting that there is no evidence of electoral fraud, while other organizations criticize Maduro for alack of transparency in the electoral process. “This is certainly not over immediately,” stated Ryan Berg, clearly indicating that the future of Venezuela appears more uncertain than ever before.