“Maduro, give up power!” chants several hundred thousand demonstrators in the streets of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. In an anti-government protest, they are demanding that President Nicolas Maduro resign after Sunday's elections. The protesters claim that the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won.
The democratic opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, is demanding recognition of Gonzalez Urrutia's victory, as well as an end to the Maduro regime's repression of political opponents.
“No one will steal our victory”
By Saturday afternoon, according to the estimates of the non-governmental organization Foro Penal, Venezuela 21 people were killed in the riots and over 100 were injured.
Hundreds of thousands of people take part in anti-government protest in Caracas EPA/RONALD PENA R.
“Stop the violence!”, “Free the prisoners!”, “Maduro, give up power!”, protesters chant on the streets of Caracas. Some of the demonstrators brought banners to the rally in the capital with the words “Freedom!”, “We want democracy!” and “Empty jails!”, demanding the release of political opponents of the regime, of whom more than 1,200 have been detained since Monday. Machado is taking part in the protest in Caracas, who before the rally called on President Maduro to peacefully hand over the power he has held continuously since 2013. She also appealed to take part in anti-government rallies in other parts of the country.
Anti-government protest in Caracas EPA/RONALD PENA R.
– Today we take to the streets to meet. With pride in being Venezuelans. With satisfaction that we won the elections (…) and no one will steal our victory – wrote on the X platform Machado, whose whereabouts were unknown since Thursday.
Machado fears for his life
The opposition leader said she had gone into hiding from the services of President Maduro's regime, fearing for her life. Thousands of Venezuelans have been demanding Maduro's resignation throughout the country since Monday. Disgruntled citizens took to the streets shortly after the national electoral commission (CNE) announced on Monday that Sunday's elections had ended in the victory of the incumbent president. According to the commission, he had won 51.2 percent of the vote. On Friday, the CNE confirmed this result.
VENEZUELA Demonstration after the presidential elections in CaracasManuel Diaz/EFE/PAP/EPA
Meanwhile, according to Maria Corina Machado, her colleagues managed to seize files from the electoral commissions which prove that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia clearly won Sunday's vote, receiving 73.2 percent of support.
Call from European Union countries
Heads of State or Government Italian, France, Spain, Netherlands, GermanPolish and Portugal asked Venezuelan authorities on Saturday to “quickly publish” election documents after the president's official, though disputed, re-election Nicolas Maduro – reported the AFP agency. In a joint statement, they called on “the Venezuelan authorities to immediately publish all the protocols in order to guarantee the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.” “This verification is necessary to recognize the will of the Venezuelan people,” the statement said.
Main image source: EPA/RONALD PENA R.