Venezuelan opposition leader demonstrates alongside supporters in Caracas

She had not been seen in public since Tuesday. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado demonstrated alongside thousands of her supporters on Saturday, August 3 in Caracas, Venezuela, to contest the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro’s supporters planned to “celebrate victory”, in a country under strong international pressure. They should leave the city center to walk to the presidential palace on Saturday afternoon.

Maria Corina Machado, who said she was “hidden” and fear for his life in a column in the American daily Wall Street Journalappeared at midday on a truck bearing the words “Venezuela has won”She was greeted by thousands of protesters shouting “Freedom !”. “We have never been stronger”she hammered home, galvanizing the crowd. “The regime has never been so weak (…) It has lost all legitimacy”she continued into the microphone. “They [le pouvoir] did not submit a single report [de bureau de vote]. The truth is in the minutes (…) We will not give up on protecting the truth”she then exclaimed.

The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, declared ineligible by the government, was unable to be a candidate in the presidential election of July 28. She was replaced at short notice by Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who was not present on Saturday at the rally called in an upscale neighborhood in the east of the capital, surrounded by a discreet police deployment.

Unsurprisingly, the electoral authority confirmed on Friday the re-election of Nicolas Maduro for a third term until 2031, with 52% of the vote against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (43%), without giving the detailed results. “We won !”replied on X Maria Corina Machado. “We have the evidence and the world already recognizes it”said the opponent, who considers it a “prank call” the official results. According to the opposition’s count, its candidate received 67% of the vote.