Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has boldly addressed a mass rally in the capital, Caracas, despite government threats of arrest.
Machado went into hiding earlier this week after accusing President Nicolás Maduro of defrauding the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, of a clear victory in the presidential election.
In response, President Maduro has vowed “maximum punishment” for anti-government demonstrators who allege his re-election was rigged.
The electoral commission, controlled by Maduro’s allies, insists he won with 52% of last Sunday’s vote, but independent observers have criticised the process for lacking transparency.
The commission has not released the full breakdown of results, while the opposition claims its own tally shows a significant win for their candidate. Pre-election opinion polls also suggested a clear victory for the challenger.
On Saturday, Machado addressed thousands of her supporters in Caracas from a truck displaying a banner that read, “Venezuela has won.”
“We have never been so strong as today,” she declared to the crowd, adding, “the regime has never been weaker… It has lost all legitimacy.”
Machado, who was barred from running in the election, has spent days in hiding. Earlier this week, she wrote in The Wall Street Journal that she had been left “fearing for my life,” along with other opposition leaders. She was met with cheers of “freedom, freedom” and was accompanied by several other opposition figures, though Edmundo Gonzalez was not present.
In a separate video message, Gonzalez urged supporters to respond to the regime’s attacks with hope, harmony, and peace.
Venezuelan security forces have spent the past several days attempting to contain mass protests. At least 11 people have died in clashes with police.
Addressing his supporters in Caracas on Saturday, President Maduro stated that around 2,000 prisoners had been detained since the election a week ago. He promised maximum punishment for them, adding, “This time, there will be no forgiveness.”
The government is facing growing international pressure. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Gonzalez had won the election.
His comments coincide with calls from the presidents of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia for Venezuela to release detailed election results. Other regional governments, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and Uruguay, have also expressed concerns over the vote.
Despite this, Maduro has received backing from allies in Russia, China, and Cuba. He has requested Venezuela’s top court to audit the voting tallies to confirm the results, which granted him another six-year term in power.
The opposition claims the court is controlled by government loyalists who will delay the publication of the tallies. Gonzalez boycotted the court proceedings on Friday.