US recognizes opposition activists as election winners in Venezuela

President Maduro has officially won Venezuela. But many states doubt the results of election officials. The United States has now shown its colors and recognized opposition candidate Gonzalez as the winner of the election.

For days, various Latin American countries, the United States and the European Union have been calling on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to make election files available to the public or an independent panel after the disputed presidential election. This seems to be going too slowly for the US and the Peruvian government. They want to increase the pressure and recognize opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of the presidential election.

“It is clear in the face of overwhelming evidence for the United States, and especially the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the July 28 presidential election in Venezuela,” said U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Election files are not yet public

Maduro had claimed victory in the election. Opposition parties accused him of involvement in election fraud. Maduro has yet to make the election files public. In the Supreme Court, which is known to be close to the socialist government, the head of state put it simply.

It sounds like a flashback. Already in 2019, the United States was the first country to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido, who had appointed himself as interim president, and about 60 countries followed – until abandoning him again a few years later. These elections were also marred by allegations of irregularities. Maduro held his position, did not resign, and sat out. He doesn't seem to be taking any action now.

Instead, in recent days he has cracked down on demonstrators, opposition members and critics of the government. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the capital Caracas and across the country in recent days.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested – including minors

The Attorney General's Office said that more than 1,000 people have been arrested in the past few days. Alfredo Romero works for the Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal. The lawyer has taken up the defense of 50 cases, he explains to Venezuelan independent online media Pidazo. Among them were eleven minors and a disabled youth. They are 15 and 17 years old.

He and his colleagues were unable to reach their clients, although they received authorization from family members, Romero says. There is no word on their condition.

Formal Human rights violations

Human rights are systematically violated. At least eleven people died in the protests, according to the Foro Penal. Other organizations are already talking about more than 20 cases.

In Beitar, the largest poor district east of Caracas, many are afraid to leave their homes, a journalist who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons reports: “Residents in this district report receiving threats from local authorities – also in the 23 de Enero district.” They were accused of agitating. And those who did not participate in the demonstrations were also taken away.

There are many rumors circulating these days. The journalist explains that it is still difficult to get information now. Reporters are pressured not to cover the protests. There is a lot of censorship, but there is also auto-censoring. “A big problem is misinformation and that certainly makes people more nervous. Many are asking themselves: What else can we do to change the situation?”

Stuck in his own country

It was quiet again on the streets of Caracas. Shops have reopened as if nothing had happened. “Life goes on. We have to work. We have to believe in something to live,” says a woman as if to justify herself. Nobody likes to tell their real name these days.

A taxi driver still couldn't believe it. He feels trapped, he says in a voicemail. He was outraged by the claims of comrades who fled to the United States, Spain or Colombia in recent years: “We eat only dirt here, they say they will never return to Venezuela. Then they demand severe economic sanctions. ” But economic sanctions will eventually hit the people – those who stayed in the country are hard to shake hands with. have to work

The taxi driver has five children, most of whom he still has to support. You can't leave the country because you don't have money. He says he can't imagine setting up shop somewhere new. Many are also living in dangerous conditions abroad. Nearly eight million people have fled the country in recent years – a quarter of the total population.

Leader of Opposition is disappearing

Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has called for nationwide protests on Saturday. “#ganóVlz – Venezuela wins.” Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado spoke at Platform X. “The world will see the strength of a society committed to freedom,” she says sternly into the camera.

Her current whereabouts are unknown. He was last seen on the street with supporters during a protest on Tuesday. She is hiding in fear of her life. The attorney general's office is investigating him and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez because, among other things, he allegedly hacked the electoral council.