President Nicolás Maduro denounced this Saturday a plan to “usurp” power, during a day of marches in Venezuela in which opposition leader María Corina Machado reappearedwhich claims victory for its candidate in the elections in which the president was proclaimed re-elected.
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Thousands of Chavistas marched in support of Maduro’s proclamation almost a week before the July 28 elections, which have been questioned by the United States and several countries in the region. Earlier, Machado led an opposition rally two days after going into hiding for fear of her life.
The one who was not present was his candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. Maduro has asked for jail time for both of them.
The leftist president insists that The allegations of fraud are part of a coup plan against him and he warned that “the attempt to usurp the presidency again will not be accepted under national laws,” drawing a parallel with the international recognition received by Juan Guaidó in 2019.
Guaidó, currently exiled in the United States, was the head of parliament in 2019 when he was recognized as “interim president” by Washington and around fifty governments in Latin America and Europe that considered Maduro’s re-election the previous year to be fraudulent in elections that the opposition had boycotted.
González Urrutia “was afraid to swear himself in today” as Guaidó did in 2019 in a public square, Maduro continued. “He didn’t go to the opposition march (…), they were going to put the sash on him and he was going to swear himself in. He was afraid.”
Maduro was ratified on Friday by the ruling National Electoral Council as re-elected president with 52% of the votes, compared to 43% for González, who claims to have evidence showing that he won the election with 67% of the vote.
Machado says that Chavismo has lost legitimacy
Despite fears of repression, thousands of opposition protesters rallied in Caracas on Saturday. “Freedom, freedom!” shouted thousands of people as Machado drove by in an open-top truck.
“We are defending popular sovereignty through the vote!” said the leader, dressed in a white T-shirt. “The (Maduro) regime has never been so weak. They have lost all legitimacy.”
I feel hopeful when I see her despite the threats. I feel that she is a light for Venezuela. I have great faith that we will get rid of this government.
“We are not going to leave the streets,” he said. After finishing his journey, he got on a motorcycle and sped off to his place of refuge.
“I feel hopeful when I see her despite the threats. I feel like she is a light for Venezuela. I have a lot of faith that we will get rid of this government,” Adrian Pacheco, a 26-year-old businessman, told AFP.
The opposition held similar rallies in other cities in the country, the United States, Latin America and Europe.
The day before, Maduro warned of an alleged opposition plan to blow up a bridge near the Machado rally site and ordered law enforcement to “protect” Caracas. Nothing happened.
“Maduro is illegitimate. We are not terrorists, we are fighting for our country, for freedom,” said Jezzy Ramos, a 36-year-old chef who is married and has one daughter.
‘Maduro is peace’
The pro-Chavez march reached the Miraflores presidential palace in the centre of the capital. There were thousands of people dressed mostly in red – the colour of the ruling party – with flags and banners.
“Maduro is peace, Maria Corina Machado is death,” said Humberto Berrocal, 75, at the march. “If they are going to come with a vengeance, with a vengeance, as we say here, they should face the consequences: they will get Tocorón.”
Tocorón is one of two maximum security prisons that Maduro has said he is preparing for the 2,000 people detained in protests that erupted on Monday against the result and left 11 dead, according to human rights NGOs.
The president – who has said that there are also two dead soldiers – warned that “military and police patrols” will continue “throughout Venezuela to protect the people.”
Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal urged Venezuelan authorities on Saturday to “quickly publish all voting records,” a demand that is multiplying throughout the world.
The United States went a step further and declared that there was “overwhelming evidence” of González Urrutia’s victory. Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama followed suit.
Mexico, Colombia and Brazil are pushing for a political agreement.
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