Protests over the stolen elections took place in cities around the globe
The big surprise at the Caracas gathering was the reappearance of opposition leader María Corina Machado before thousands of supporters.
HAVANA TIMES – Thousands of Venezuelans protested this Saturday, August 17, 2024, in major capitals and cities around the world, demonstrating their strength and unity against the “fraud” committed by Nicolas Maduro’s government in the presidential elections held on July 28th. They demand that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia be recognized as the elected president and winner of those elections.
In Caracas, the epicenter of the global call from Venezuela’s largest opposition alliance, the big surprise was the reappearance of opposition leader María Corina Machado before thousands of supporters.
After two weeks in hiding, fearing for her “freedom and life,” Machado appeared on the popular campaign truck, cheered by thousands of protesters who answered her call to continue peaceful protests. She was accompanied by several opposition figures including Delsa Solorzano, Biagio Pilieri, and Cesar Perez Vivas.
The opposition leader declared that “the greatest civic feat in the country’s history” was achieved by their movement through the candidacy of Edmundo Gonzalez, who “swept” the presidential elections.
“They thought that by persecuting our poll witnesses, we wouldn’t be able to get our copies of the tally sheets, but within 24 hours, we had them digitized,” Machado said to thousands of opposition supporters mobilized in defense of the “truth.”
During her speech, which concluded the protest, Machado announced a “fifth stage” of the struggle that consists of “claiming” Edmundo Gonzalez’s victory and ensuring that “every vote is respected.”
“There is nothing above the sovereign voice, and the sovereign voice has spoken in Venezuela. The world and everyone within Venezuela must recognize that the elected president is Edmundo González,” she said.
15,000 Venezuelans protested in Spain
The largest demonstration outside Venezuelan borders took place in Madrid, with nearly 15,000 people filling the iconic Puerta del Sol, chanting “Freedom” and “Maduro Out.”
Exiled Venezuelan leaders such as Leopoldo Lopez and former Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma attended this protest.
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