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After four deaths in anti-Maduro protests, new demonstrations threaten in Venezuela

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Caracas, Venezuela:

New demonstrations were expected in Venezuela on Tuesday after four people died and dozens were injured as authorities broke up protests against President Nicolás Maduro’s declared victory in a hotly contested election.

Security forces on Monday used tear gas and rubber bullets against angry demonstrators protesting against the official results, which have been questioned by the opposition and neighboring countries.

Thousands of people poured into the streets of several districts of the capital Caracas, chanting “Freedom, freedom!” and “This government will fall!”

Some tore down and burned Maduro’s campaign posters, while at least two statues of Hugo Chavez – the late authoritarian socialist who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade and personally selected Maduro as his successor – were toppled by protesters.

In addition to the deaths, 44 injuries were reported, according to the National Hospital Survey, a network that monitors crises in the country’s hospitals.

Two of the dead were in the state of Aragua and one in Caracas, the network said. The non-governmental organization Foro Penal, meanwhile, reported another death in the northwestern state of Yaracuy.

Amid growing fears of violence, Freddy Superlano, a leading figure in the opposition coalition, was “kidnapped” by black-clad officers, his Voluntad Popular party reported on X.

Fear of fraud

The elections took place amid widespread fears of electoral fraud by the government, and the campaign was marred by allegations of political intimidation.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed the re-election of 61-year-old Maduro for another six years until 2031. The president received 51.2 percent of the votes cast, compared to 44.2 percent for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

But opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters that a review of available voting results clearly showed that the next president would be “Edmundo González Urrutia,” who replaced her in the election after courts close to Maduro barred her from running.

The records showed a “mathematically irreversible” lead for González Urrutia with 6.27 million votes to 2.75 million votes for Maduro, she said.

The Organization of American States, a regional body, accused on Tuesday of “extraordinary manipulation” of the election results that gave Maduro the victory.

Machado called on all families to attend “popular assemblies” across the country on Tuesday to show their support for a peaceful transfer of power.

Maduro’s campaign manager Jorge Rodriguez also called for “large demonstrations starting this Tuesday to celebrate the victory.”

In Caracas, AFP observed members of the National Guard firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters on Monday, some of whom wore motorcycle helmets and headscarves. Some responded by throwing stones.

Protests were even reported in poor neighborhoods of Caracas that were once Maduro strongholds. Gunshots were heard in some areas.

The United Nations, the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries called for a “transparent” process, while allies such as China, Russia and Cuba congratulated Maduro.

In a joint statement, nine Latin American countries called for a “full verification of the results in the presence of independent election observers.” Chile’s president said the result was “hard to believe.”

Amid tensions, Peru recalled its ambassador and Panama announced it would suspend relations with Venezuela. Caracas, meanwhile, announced the withdrawal of diplomatic staff from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

Warning of a “bloodbath”

Independent opinion polls had predicted that Maduro would lose Sunday’s election.

He has been at the helm of the once prosperous, oil-rich country since 2013. Due to US sanctions and economic mismanagement, GDP has fallen by 80 percent in the last decade, forcing more than seven million of Venezuela’s 30 million inhabitants to emigrate.

Maduro is accused of imprisoning critics and harassing the opposition in a climate of increasing authoritarianism.

In the run-up to the election, he warned of a “bloodbath” in the event of defeat.

Sunday’s elections were the result of an agreement reached last year between the government and the opposition.

That deal prompted the United States to temporarily ease sanctions imposed after Maduro’s re-election in 2018, as dozens of Latin American and other countries rejected them as a sham.

The sanctions were abruptly reinstated after Maduro failed to comply with the agreed terms.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, but production capacity has declined sharply in recent years.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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