Opposition calls on army to “side with the people”

“We appeal to the conscience of the military and police to side with the people and their own families.”write in a joint statement opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. In the text, the two opposition leaders also promise that “The new democratically elected government of the Republic offers guarantees to those who will fulfill their constitutional duty”.

The unrest that followed the declaration of the head of state’s victory left eleven civilians dead, according to human rights organizations. Nicolas Maduro, for his part, announced the death of two members of the National Guard and the arrest of more than 2,000 people, promising to continue the repression against what he calls an attempt to “imperialist coup”.

Venezuela’s electoral authority on Friday ratified Nicolas Maduro’s victory with 52% of the vote against 43% for Edmundo Gonzalez, who had replaced Maria Corina Machado at short notice, who had been declared ineligible. Claiming to be the victim of computer hacking, the electoral authority has still not given the details of the vote by station. The opposition believes that this is a maneuver to avoid revealing the real results.