Last Saturday, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado led a large protest in Caracas. She and her supporters spoke to the crowd from the top of a truck, amid thousands of people chanting “Freedom, freedom.”
Following the disputed presidential elections the previous Sunday, both the government and the opposition staged demonstrations in Venezuela’s capital on Saturday, escalating tensions in the South American country.
While calls for a diplomatic settlement became more vocal internationally, President Nicolás Maduro and his opponents declared triumph. The electoral body was given a three-day deadline by the Supreme Court of Justice to tabulate the ballots cast at polling places on Friday.
Over 1,200 people were arrested and 11 people died as a result of the protests that broke out earlier this week, according to NGOs, which Maduro said were instigated by the opposition. The opposition refused to recognise Maduro as the victor of the July 28 presidential election, and the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is under the control of the ruling party, announced the results, which sparked the turmoil.
Meanwhile, to celebrate her ally Edmundo González’s election, Machado rallied her followers in an opposition stronghold east of the capital. The ruling party responded by urging its followers to take part in the “mother of all marches” in Caracas to commemorate what they claimed to be Nicolás Maduro’s reelection to a third term.
Recently, Maduro has increased his attacks on the opposition, focussing especially on presidential contender Edmundo González and María Corina Machado.
He was terrified to swear himself in today. He refrained from attending the protest march. Today the gentleman was terrified. He was scheduled to be sworn in and have the sash placed on him today. He felt terrified. González Urrutia, you dripped,” Maduro remarked.
According to humanitarian agencies, Maduro has held both opposition leaders responsible for the protests that took place earlier this week in Caracas and other inland areas, which resulted in 939 detentions, including 90 minors, and 11 fatalities.
“We are triumphing,” Maduro declared to his followers.
While claiming that the opposition groupings’ motivations are limited to hatred and retribution, Maduro minimised the significance of their accusations and requested the National Electoral Council to make the vote count records public.