Venezuela’s electoral authority confirmed this Friday, August 2, the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro. At the call of Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, demonstrations in all cities of the country are called for this Saturday, August 3, to maintain pressure against the government in place this Saturday, August 3. The opposition believes that it largely won the presidential election held last Sunday. The United States, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru have recognized the victory of the opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
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The electoral authority of the Venezuelathe National Electoral Council (CNE), confirmed on Friday the re-election of the president Nicolas Maduro with 52% of the vote, against opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (43%), who denounces fraud and claims victory. The president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, made this announcement after the counting of 97% of the ballots, giving 6.4 million votes to Maduro and 5.3 million to his rival.
Although law enforcement has been violently suppressing spontaneous protests throughout the country since last Monday, the opposition is calling for protests on Saturday, August 3. Corina Machado, who said she was going into hiding last Thursday following threats from President Nicolas Maduro, has not said whether she will participate in these protests, but she is calling for a massive mobilization to show the Chavista camp that Venezuelans will not ease off the pressure until the government recognizes its defeat in the presidential election.
A mobilization that could face an equally massive repression as was the case throughout the week. Corina Machado, who has not appeared publicly since last Tuesday, fears being arrested and imprisoned. This is also the case for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate who faced Nicolas Maduro in this election in place of Corina Machado who had been declared ineligible last April. Around thirty collaborators of these two political figures have already been arrested this week.
The United States recognizes Edmundo Gonzalez’s victory
This Saturday, Venezuelans could well take to the streets en masse from 10am local time, despite warnings from the authorities who will not hesitate to arrest anyone who supports the opposition. On the other side, supporters of Nicolas Maduro are also calling for demonstrations.
Across the American continent, reactions are multiplying, starting with the United States, which has finally taken a firm position. It was the American Secretary of State who recognized Edmundo Gonzalez’s victory. In a statement, Antony Blinken is affirmative, he mentions “ overwhelming evidence »: the opposition candidate won more votes than Nicolas Maduro.
Washington is not going so far as to designate Edmundo Gonzalez as president. Only Peru and Argentina have done so. Uruguay has also recognized the victory of the Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Based on overwhelming evidence, it is clear to Uruguay that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia obtained the majority of votes in the presidential elections in Venezuela. We hope that the will of the Venezuelan people will be respected ” wrote Foreign Minister Omar Paganini on the social network X.
Among Venezuela’s other South American neighborscaution is advised. Neither candidate is recognized as the winner. But Colombia, Brazil and Mexico are demanding an impartial verification of the results as soon as possible. The Venezuelan authorities are called upon to publish the detailed count of the ballots, which the electoral commission has still not done at this stage.
Pro- and anti-government demonstrations planned for tomorrow have NGOs fearing a new deadly wave of repressionEleven people have died and more than 1,000 have been arrested during spontaneous rallies this week. President Nicolas Maduro has announced that two prisons are being prepared to house the protesters.
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