President Nicolás Maduro is set to maintain his increasingly stringent regime in Venezuela until 2031, with his inauguration scheduled for Friday. This comes in the wake of substantial allegations that his rival emerged victorious in the most recent election, and there has been significant public unrest surrounding his intention to take on a third six-year term.
On Thursday, large crowds of anti-Maduro demonstrators took to the streets of Caracas. According to spokespeople for opposition leader María Corina Machado, she was briefly detained by security personnel and pressured into making video statements. Despite being barred from running for public office by the government, Machado appeared at the rally to demand the swearing-in of opposition candidate Edmundo González as president instead of Maduro. After addressing the crowd, Machado departed on a motorcycle surrounded by her security detail.
Machado’s press team reported on social media that her convoy was “violently intercepted” by law enforcement. Following this, her aides confirmed that she had been taken into custody, causing an outcry from leaders across the Americas and Europe, who condemned the government’s actions and called for her immediate release. President-elect Donald Trump voiced his support for both Machado and González, urging that “These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and MUST stay SAFE and ALIVE!” via a post on Truth Social.
Maduro’s supporters rejected claims of Machado’s arrest, arguing that government adversaries were fabricating stories to incite an international crisis. The controversy surrounding Maduro’s upcoming inauguration adds to an ongoing narrative filled with accusations of electoral misconduct and the oppressive measures being used to quash dissent.
Electoral authorities, aligned with Maduro’s ruling party, announced his victory shortly after the polls closed on July 28, but unlike previous elections, detailed vote counts were not released. The opposition claims to have gathered data from over 80% of electronic voting machines, asserting that their findings indicate González received twice as many votes as Maduro.
The global outcry over the lack of transparency forced Maduro to request an audit of the election results from the high court, which is also filled with his allies. Despite affirming Maduro’s win without substantial proof, the court urged the electoral council to disclose vote counts, although neither the council nor ruling party representatives have provided evidence supporting Maduro’s claim to victory.
The Carter Center, which observed the election on Maduro’s invitation, confirmed the legitimacy of the opposition’s vote tallies. Election analysts permitted by the government noted that the polling documentation shared by the opposition seemed to retain all original security features.
The contention surrounding the election outcomes has fueled international criticism and sparked widespread protests across the nation. In response, authorities have aggressively suppressed dissent, detaining over 2,000 protesters, and encouraging ordinary citizens to report suspected dissidents. Tragically, over 20 individuals lost their lives during the corresponding unrest, with numerous detainees alleging torture while in custody.
It remains uncertain if any heads of state will attend the forthcoming inauguration ceremony hosted by the National Assembly, which is under Maduro’s control. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a close ally of Maduro, announced his absence, citing the recent detainment of a prominent opposition figure and a human rights advocate.
During Maduro’s previous inauguration in 2019, international figures such as Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel and former Bolivian President Evo Morales were present. The 2018 election was widely viewed as illegitimate after major opposition parties were barred from participation. Meanwhile, González, who had gone into exile in Spain as of September, is expected to return to Venezuela by Friday, though government officials have cautioned him against setting foot in the country, threatening arrest.
On Tuesday, González reported that his son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, had been kidnapped in Caracas. His daughter, Mariana González de Tudares, insinuated through a statement that the government might be behind the abduction, asking, “At what point did being related to Edmundo González Urrutia become a crime?”
