Venezuela’s Opposition leader Machado calls for worldwide protests for election ‘truth’

Venezuela's Opposition calls for global protests on August 17 to support claimed election victory over President Maduro.

Venezuela’s Opposition called on Sunday (August 11, 2024) for worldwide protests on August 17 to show support for its claimed victory in last month’s election over President Nicolas Maduro, who was declared the winner.

“This Saturday, August 17, we will take to the streets of Venezuela and the world... let us shout together so that the world supports our victory and recognises the truth and popular sovereignty,” said Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in a video on social media.

“This message is for you, who do not recognise yourself in today’s Venezuela, who are tired of having your family separated, who voted and want what you decided on July 28 to be respected,” she said on X, which Mr. Maduro has sought to temporarily ban in the country. Ms. Corina Machado said recently that she feared for her life, as several other members of the Venezuelan Opposition have been reportedly whisked away with no warning.

Electoral authorities declared Mr. Maduro the winner of the July 28 polls with 52% votes, but are yet to release a detailed breakdown of the results. The Opposition, in contrast, published a large set of data —the legitimacy of which has been denied by Mr. Maduro but backed by the U.S. and several Latin American countries. Those results showed opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia receiving 67% of the vote, largely in line with pre-election polling.