Caracas, Venezuela – Security forces in Venezuela deployed tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters who took to the streets on Monday night following the contentious election results announced on Sunday.
Thousands of demonstrators converged in central Caracas, with many traveling from distant slums on the surrounding mountains, heading towards the presidential palace. The protests erupted after President Nicolás Maduro declared victory, a result that has been heavily disputed by the opposition.
The opposition, backing candidate Edmundo González, claims that he won the election convincingly with 73.2% of the vote, contrasting sharply with the official results. Pre-election opinion polls had suggested a clear win for González, fueling further discontent.
Venezuela’s opposition parties had united behind González to challenge President Maduro, who has been in power for 11 years amidst an ongoing economic crisis that has left the nation in turmoil.
A significant military and police presence aimed to disperse protesters and prevent them from reaching the presidential palace. Protesters chanted “freedom, freedom!” while demanding the fall of the government. Footage from the protests showed burning tires on highways and clashes between protesters and security forces. Posters of President Maduro were torn down and burned, and various objects, including cars and rubbish, were set alight.
The Venezuelan government announced a temporary suspension of commercial flights to and from Panama and the Dominican Republic starting Wednesday evening. In a televised speech, President Maduro urged the public to remain calm and patient, asserting the need to “defeat the violent.”
Paola Sarzalejo, a 41-year-old protester, called the vote “terrible, fraud,” asserting that “We won with 70%, but they did the same thing to us again.” Her father, Miguel, 64, echoed her sentiments, emphasizing the need for a better future for the country’s youth.
Cristobal Martinez, draped in a Venezuelan flag, labeled the election a “fraud.” He highlighted the importance of the vote for young people, many of whom are unemployed and do not study. Martinez called for international support to prevent further disaster.
President Maduro has accused the opposition of attempting a coup by disputing the results. The Venezuelan attorney general warned that any unlawful activities during protests would be met with the full force of the law, announcing that 32 people had been detained for various offenses.
Several Western and Latin American countries, along with international organizations, have called for the release of voting records from individual polling stations. Argentina has refused to recognize Maduro’s victory, prompting Venezuela to recall its diplomats from Buenos Aires. Other countries, including Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, have also faced diplomatic withdrawals over their “interventionist actions.”
