Maduro opponents take to the streets
Protests in Venezuela following the disputed presidential election show no signs of abating. The opposition accuses the government of election fraud and claims victory for their candidate. The government remains unmoved by the protests, with Maduro also mobilizing his supporters.
After the disputed presidential election in Venezuela, thousands took to the streets in the capital, Caracas, to protest against the authoritarian government of President Nicolás Maduro. "Never have we been stronger, never has the regime been weaker. It has lost all legitimacy," said opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Similar protests were held in other Venezuelan cities, as well as in the U.S. city of Miami, Bogotá in Colombia, and Madrid, Spain, against what they view as a manipulated election last Sunday.
Supporters of the socialist government also took to the streets to back Maduro in his power struggle with the opposition. The loyal electoral authority declared the socialist, who has been in power since 2013, the official winner. However, they have not yet published the detailed results of the individual voting districts.
The opposition accuses the government of election fraud and claims victory for their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. According to their own figures, the government opponents have detailed results from more than 80 percent of the voting districts, which they say show González with 67 percent of the votes and Maduro with only 30 percent.
At least eleven people have died in the protests, according to the independent organization Foro Penal. Over 1,200 people have been arrested, according to official figures. Maduro accused the opposition of working with the U.S. to cause chaos and plan a coup. "We do not promote violence, but peaceful protest is not violence," said Machado. "We will not give up our right to civil protest."
The following protest actions against the disputed election results in Venezuela were also seen in Miami, Bogotá, and Madrid. Despite the opposition's accusations of election fraud and their claimed victory for Edmundo González Urrutia, the government remains unyielding.
