Venezuelan opposition gathers to hear call for unity

Venezuelan opposition parties have staged one of their largest rallies since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, hearing calls for unity to end more than two decades of socialist governments

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan opposition parties on Saturday staged one of their largest rallies since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, hearing calls for unity to end more than two decades of socialist governments — though they were outnumbered by a pro-government demonstration elsewhere in the capital.

Juan Guaidó, the former congressman who three years ago proclaimed himself Venezuela’s legitimate leader, urged the hundreds who gathered in Caracas, the capital, to unify and push for an early presidential election ahead of the currently scheduled vote in 2024.

“This free and fair election ... will not come for free. It will not be a gift from the dictatorship. It will not be a gift from those who have hijacked power,” Guaidó said. “We commit ourselves today to fight, to organize every corner of Venezuela.”

He urged opposition activists to embrace a “key pillar ... that has given us the victory in the past: unity.”