Protests across Venezuela as election dispute continues
Protests erupted across Venezuela following the disputed presidential election, where opposition leader María Corina Machado rallied thousands in Caracas against Nicolás Maduro's claimed victory. Machado, who had been in hiding, emphasized the importance of the people's voice and called for intensified nationwide protests to pressure Maduro to concede.
Maduro declared he won a third term with 52% of the vote, but opposition figures, including Edmundo Gonzalez, contest this, citing their own tallies showing a significant victory for Gonzalez. The electoral commission, aligned with Maduro, has not released detailed results, leading to accusations of a lack of transparency.
The protests have led to widespread arrests, with over 2,400 detentions reported since the election announcement. The UN condemned the government's harsh response to dissent, while international bodies like the EU and the US have refused to recognize the election results.