On August 17, 2024, hundreds of Venezuelans responded to the global call for “Great World Protests” and gathered in Plaza Manco Capac in Lima, Peru, to protest against the recent re-election of Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro. The World Truth Rally is a global event organized by opposition leader María Collina Machado in the wake of the controversial re-election of Nicolás Maduro as president in Venezuela, both domestically and internationally. Held after the results.
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Venezuela's political opposition and its supporters gathered in cities across the country on Saturday to demand recognition of their candidate's landslide victory in the presidential election nearly three weeks ago.
President Nicolás Maduro won a third term in the July 28 election with just under 52% of the vote, the country's electoral body, which the opposition considers an offshoot of the ruling party, said.
But the opposition, led by former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, released 83% of the results from voting machine counts online, leaving its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Edmundo Gonzalez received strong support at 67%.
The disputed vote plunged the economically troubled country into a political crisis, and a government crackdown on protests led to at least 2,400 arrests. Protest-related clashes also resulted in the deaths of at least 23 people.
The international community has made a series of recommendations to overcome the nearly three-week electoral crisis – including a new vote – but most have been outright rejected by both the ruling and opposition parties.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (center) poses before First Lady Celia Flores (third from right) during a rally at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on July 30, 2024. ) and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez (second from right) speak next to each other.
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In the capital, Caracas, thousands of people gathered on the main road in the east of the city.
Standing on a truck in the center of the crowd, Machado called for independent international verification of the election and urged her supporters to stay on the streets.
“Nothing is more important than the voice of the people and the voice of the people,” she said.
Jesus Aguilar, a 21-year-old theology student, said he supported the opposition in the hope of a better future: “We know that there is no possibility of development in this government. I could even see myself trying to leave nation”.
In cities across the country, Venezuelans took to the streets. At 9 a.m. (1300 GMT), hundreds of people gathered in Maracaibo, a once oil-rich city in northwestern Venezuela.
“We are past the worst and we no longer have any fear,” Noraima Rodriguez, 52, told Reuters. “My daughter died because the university hospital had no medical supplies. “I have nothing to lose but I want a future for my grandchildren.”
Hundreds of people demonstrated in the cities of Valencia, San Cristobal and Barquisimeto, many waving Venezuelan flags, protest signs or copies of the vote count. About 100 protesters were dispersed with tear gas in Maracay, about 110 kilometers (70 miles) west of Caracas.
From Bogota to Madrid, Venezuelan expats are flocking here in droves. In the center of Mexico City, nearly a thousand people gathered in the center of the Plaza de la Revolución.
“This is Venezuela’s moment of freedom,” said Jesus Mata, a 30-year-old street vendor who arrived in Mexico two years ago.
A man waves a Venezuelan flag as demonstrators clash with police during a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, July 29, 2024, the day after Venezuela's presidential election . Protests erupted in parts of Caracas on Monday against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's claim to have won re-election, disputed by the opposition and questioned by the international community, AFP journalists observed.
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Driven by the economic and political crisis, he joined tens of thousands of Venezuelans on a journey through the Darien Canyon between Colombia and Panama, which is notorious for robbery, kidnapping, rape and other dangers.
He added: “I hope for the end of 25 years of darkness, for freedom so that the nearly 8 million Venezuelans abroad can come home.”
The economic collapse under Maduro has cost Venezuela more than 73% of its gross domestic product (GDP) since 2013, according to researchers at the Institute of Advanced Administrative Studies in Caracas.
After a demonstration in support of the government at Miraflores Palace, Maduro promised 8% economic growth this year and rebuked international critics and the opposition.
“We have earned the right to create the future we want in Venezuela, no matter what we want, and no one can stand idly by in Venezuela,” he told the crowd waving Venezuelan flags. “I'm not going around telling anyone in the world Providing advice on how to deal with this country or that country… Anyone who interferes in Venezuela will have the door shut.”
Opposition sources and analysts told Reuters this week that the opposition is still pushing for recognition of its victory, but its options are narrowing as international attention shifts elsewhere.
Many Western countries have urged a full release of the results, while Russia, China and other countries congratulated Maduro on his victory.
Washington in April tightened oil sanctions on OPEC members, citing Maduro's failure to abide by a deal on election conditions, while other Western countries showed no sign they would take swift, swift action in response to a vote that many condemned. Strong action.
Panama's president said Latin American leaders will discuss the crisis this weekend, when many will travel to the Dominican Republic for the inauguration of the country's new president.