Venezuelan opposition leaders are calling for global protests following the controversial presidential election results. President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner by the government-controlled electoral commission, but the opposition claims that their candidate, Edmundo González, actually won. They are demanding that detailed data from polling stations be released to support their claim.
The opposition coalition has received support from the European Union, the US, and other Latin American nations who have not yet recognized Maduro as the legitimate winner of the election. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has urged Venezuelans to protest worldwide on 17 August to show support for their claim of victory.
The opposition has provided a data set online which they say proves González won by a significant margin. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that there is ”overwhelming evidence” of González’s victory. However, the Maduro government maintains that the result announced by the National Electoral Council is the only valid one.
Maduro has accused the opposition of fabricating evidence and claimed that the US is behind the protests and contestation of the election result. Both González and Machado, who have been in hiding, have called for national and global protests to support ”the truth”.
Since the official poll results were disputed, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Venezuela and other Latin American countries. The government has detained over 2,000 people, accusing some of ”terrorism”. Opposition figures, including campaign co-ordinator María Oropeza, have been seized by security forces.
Oropeza’s detention was live-streamed on Instagram, where loud sounds could be heard in the background as she insisted on her innocence. Other opposition members, such as Freddy Superlano, Roland Carreño, and Ricardo Estévez, have also been detained. Despite the Supreme Court summoning all presidential candidates for an audit of the disputed vote, González refused to appear, stating that he would not risk his freedom or the will of the Venezuelan people.
The Supreme Court, which is aligned with President Maduro, has stated that it will make a final and binding ruling on the election. The situation in Venezuela remains tense as the opposition continues to challenge the legitimacy of President Maduro’s victory. Global protests are expected to take place on 17 August in support of the opposition’s claim to power.
