Venezuela Opposition Provides Evidence of Winning Disputed Election

July 30, 2024 TruthUSA

Thousands of Venezuelan people have taken to the streets to protest the election results announced by the country’s electoral authority.

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez stated on July 29 that his coalition has gathered sufficient evidence to demonstrate that he defeated incumbent President Nicolas Maduro in the country’s controversial presidential election.

His comments coincided with widespread protests in Venezuela against the election results announced by the electoral authority. This authority declared Mr. Maduro the winner with 51 percent of the votes while attributing 44 percent to Mr. Gonzalez.

“We hold concrete proof that substantiates our historic, clear, and mathematically irreversible victory,” stated Mr. Gonzalez during a press conference held with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Referencing results they’ve obtained showing that Mr. Gonzalez received more than 6.2 million votes compared to Mr. Maduro’s over 2.7 million, Ms. Machado claimed that they have acquired more than 70 percent of the vote tallies.

“Here are the results that we have compiled and added up until now, confirming our extraordinary victory,” Ms. Machado shared a link to a results database on social media platform X in a post made on July 30, as the link became inaccessible subsequently.

Protests erupted across various Venezuelan cities, with demonstrators removing Mr. Maduro’s posters and pulling down statues of the late President Hugo Chavez, whom Mr. Maduro succeeded in 2013, as reported by local media.

PROVEA, a Venezuelan human rights organization, declared on X that pro-Maduro armed groups fired shots at peaceful protesters in Caracas on Tuesday. Police also employed teargas against the protesters for dispersal.

As of July 29, one individual has passed away in Yaracuy and 46 protesters have been detained post-protests, according to human rights group Foro Penal. The Epoch Times was not able to independently verify these claims.

Mr. Maduro mentioned on Monday that the electoral system in the country was attacked by an unsuccessful “massive hack” from a foreign entity, although he didn’t offer any supporting details.

He hailed his reelection as a triumph of peace and expressed his intent to issue a decree for a “great national dialogue.” Mr. Maduro commenced his presidential term in 2013 following the death of Mr. Chavez.

Other Countries Cast Doubts

Several nations have raised concerns about the credibility of Venezuela’s election outcomes. The high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, highlighted that the election results remain unverified.

Mr. Borrell urged the Venezuelan Electoral Council to ensure “maximum transparency” in the results tabulation process, including granting immediate access to the voting records from each polling station.

“Credible reports from domestic and international observers indicate that the elections were marred by numerous flaws and irregularities,” Mr. Borrell stated in a release.

“Obstacles to the participation of opposition candidates, deficiencies in the voter registry, and imbalanced media access contributed to unequal electoral conditions.”

A protester throws back a tear gas canister as Venezuelan opposition supporters protest the country's disputed presidential election results, in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 29, 2024. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters) — A protester throws back a tear gas canister as Venezuelan opposition supporters protest the country’s disputed presidential election results, in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 29, 2024. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

Canada, along with 11 Latin American countries, released a joint statement on Venezuela, indicating that they will not acknowledge the National Constituent Assembly or the laws enacted by it due to its “illegitimacy.”

These countries comprise Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns” regarding the election results, stating that they do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.

Venezuelan President and presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech following the presidential election results in Caracas on July 29, 2024. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

“It’s crucial that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, election officials should share information promptly with the opposition and electoral observers, and the electoral authorities should publish detailed vote tabulations,” Mr. Blinken remarked at a press conference in Tokyo.

Mr. Blinken emphasized that the international community will be closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela and will respond accordingly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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