Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have once again taken to the streets in an effort to reignite protests against him, after he has tightened his grip on power following last month’s disputed election. The demonstration in the capital, Caracas, took place on Wednesday, one month after the contentious election on July 28, in which Maduro was declared the winner despite opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez’s protests and international condemnation regarding the lack of transparency in the election process.
Wednesday’s rally was smaller than previous demonstrations, but groups of Venezuelans also gathered in other Latin American capitals. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who, along with Gonzalez, has been in hiding since the election, appeared at Wednesday’s rally waving a Venezuelan flag and embracing small children from the back of a truck while supporters chanted “Freedom.” Machado, who has been barred from running against Maduro, had traveled across the country in the weeks leading up to the election to support Gonzalez, a previously unknown diplomat. She acknowledged that it is a steep challenge to oust Maduro from power, but stated that the movement she leads will be strategic in calling for further demonstrations. “Those who say that the passage of time favors Maduro are mistaken,” Machado told her supporters, who filled a boulevard in Caracas. “Every day, he becomes more isolated, more toxic.”
The opposition’s calls have been constant but, so far, ineffective in their attempts to remove Maduro from power. Opponents have demanded that authorities publish results from each polling station, which they believe would reveal Maduro’s attempts to steal the election. “Election records kill the verdict” is how the opposition has described the latest protest, referring to the thousands of tally sheets they have collected and published online, which contradict a recent statement from the loyal Supreme Court affirming Maduro’s alleged victory.
Maduro’s supporters also planned to hold their own rallies on Wednesday, pledging to “defend” his victory against what they claim are attempts to create unrest throughout the South American nation. According to the human rights organization Foro Penal, approximately 1,780 individuals remain detained as political prisoners in Venezuela.
Maduro has defied international calls—including from left-wing leaders in South America—to release the vote counts or hold a new election. Instead, he reshuffled his government earlier this week, promoting close allies to key positions. Maduro came to power after the death of leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2013, and his administration has been marked by economic and political crises as well as allegations of authoritarianism. In 2019, the United States and several of its allies in the Western Hemisphere recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
The recent elections sparked hope within the opposition for a peaceful transition to remove Maduro, but the current president was quick to declare victory, claiming he received 51 percent of the vote. The country’s electoral authorities have supported Maduro, but the opposition has published its own figures indicating that Gonzalez won by a large margin.