'Global protest for truth': Thousands march against fraud in Venezuela
The opposition condemned new efforts by the regime to repress the demonstrations. María Corina Machado appeared unannounced at the protest in Caracas.
Demonstration in Brussels, Belgium
Hundreds of Venezuelans took to the streets in Caracas to demand the Maduro regime to respect the electoral results of last month's presidential election.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado had anticipated that it would be a "historic day" that would be experienced in more than 300 cities around the world, "a grand global protest for truth."
This Saturday demonstrations have been registered from Buenos Aires to South Korea, passing through Atlanta; Ottawa, Canada; Turin, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland, among others.
Surprisingly, Machado, who declared herself in hiding due to threats from the regime, boarded the truck used as a stage in opposition events to go to the rally in the Venezuelan capital, according to AFP. Machado participated in the last big post-election demonstration on Aug. 3.
"I am proud to know that Venezuela is all united, fighting for democracy and freedom," opposition presidential election winning candidate Edmundo González said in a video on social media. "The regime, instead of preparing democratically for a peaceful transition, has decided to persecute, imprison and murder compatriots," he added. "It is time for an orderly transition."
Venezuela está toda unida luchando por democracia y libertad. Tenemos los votos, las actas, el apoyo de la comunidad internacional y venezolanos decididos a luchar. Es hora de una transición ordenada. pic.twitter.com/PA8R066PvW
— Edmundo González (@EdmundoGU) August 17, 2024
The winning opposition party in the elections, Vente Venezuela, claimed that government forces were repressing demonstrators and held the regime responsible for "anything that happens."
In addition to banners and posters calling for the release of political prisoners, demonstrators went to the rallying points with electoral records compiled by the opposition that show the winner of the elections is González and not Nicolas Maduro, as claimed by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Maduro also summoned his followers this Saturday afternoon in a demonstration that will end at the Miraflores Palace.
The demonstrations come a day after more than 20 countries, including the United States, signed a resolution demanding Venezuelan authorities to respect human rights, the will of the electorate and the impartial verification of electoral results.
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