Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González, joined by Maria Corina Machado, held a press conference today, asserting that they have evidence proving González’s victory in the highly anticipated presidential election.
Maria Corina Machado claimed that Nicolás Maduro received 2.7 million votes, while Edmundo González garnered over 6 million votes.
As they spoke, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across various cities in Venezuela, protesting and denouncing what they see as another stolen election by the regime.
Later in the day, the regime blocked access to the opposition party’s website, which allegedly contained proof of the election fraud.
On social media platform X, protests showed anti-Chavistas toppling several statues of former President Hugo Chávez. In Aragua state, at least one person was seriously injured or killed by gunfire from Chavista security agents.
The next 24 hours will be crucial in observing how Maduro responds to these protests. If he does not acknowledge his defeat, there could be a new wave of unrest against the regime.
So far, President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed the opposition’s accusations as baseless. “This is a desperate attempt by the fascist right to destabilize the country. The elections were fair and transparent,” declared Jorge Rodríguez, head of Maduro’s campaign command.
Some critics argue that while Machado claims to have evidence of the fraud, she is not actively supporting protests. Instead, she has called for calm and peace, urging her supporters to remain firm but peaceful in their demand for electoral justice. “We cannot allow our victory to be stolen. Let’s maintain hope and faith in a better future for Venezuela,” she concluded.
Elon Musk has been actively tweeting throughout the day, sharing videos and pictures of the protests.
At the diplomatic level, the Venezuelan government announced today that it was suspending diplomatic relations with Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. They have withdrawn all their diplomatic personnel and demanded that these countries do the same.
Milei responded to Maduro’s actions with a strong statement: “The insults from Dictator Maduro are compliments to me. He is coincidentally echoing the same grievances as many ‘well-meaning’ journalists from Argentina, whose weak positions allow Maduro’s atrocities to be legitimized.”
Anti-Chavista protesters also removed the Cuban flag from a public square, reflecting dissatisfaction with the prolonged Cuban and communist influence in Venezuela.
Chavista police have repressed residents of Petare with tear gas and pellets as they march westward. Opposition protesters have also marched near El Helicoide, Venezuela’s main political prison.
Even the Communist Party of Venezuela has joined the uprising against Chavismo, calling on genuinely democratic, popular, and patriotic forces to unite to defend the will of the people.
At night, videos showed armed Chavista collectives preparing to confront civilians in Caracas. Dictator Maduro has placed snipers on buildings surrounding his residence in the Palace of Miraflores, indicating a readiness for violent suppression. Despite this, the opposition’s movement appears unstoppable.