Crisis in Caracas: Violent protests erupt post-election

Violent protests erupted in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, and other large cities after the results of Sunday’s presidential elections were announced. The electoral commission declared Nicolás Maduro the winner, while the Venezuelan opposition claims their candidate, Edmundo González, won. Observers judged that these were not democratic elections.

The country was shaken after the presidential election results were announced in Venezuela. Angry people took to the streets on Monday. Non-governmental organizations claim that at least 11 people have died due to the violence during the protests, and dozens were injured.

Opponents of Maduro's regime took to the streets in Caracas, heading towards the presidential palace. Heavily armed police repelled them with tear gas and barricades made from shields and batons. Sometimes, the roles reversed, and National Guard soldiers fled through the streets from the enraged crowd.

The protests, which the government condemned as an attempted "coup d'état," were a reaction to the news that Maduro had won a third term, gaining 51% of the vote and extending a quarter-century of socialist rule.

Nicolás Maduro claims he can present evidence of his lead in the voting. However, he had not done so by Thursday, explaining it was impossible due to a hacking incident on the electoral commission's website.

Maduro also claims to have "proof" that opposition leader María Corina Machado was behind the "violence." He emphasized that the protesters were violating the constitution. He called on the Supreme Court to take actions that could pave the way for mass arrests of opposition activists and protesters.

According to AFP, the chief US diplomat for Latin America, Brian Nichols, stated that evidence indicates President Maduro lost.

"The tabulation of these detailed results clearly show an irrefutable result: Edmundo Gonzalez won with 67 percent of these votes compared to 30 percent for Maduro," Nichols said in a speech at a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).

On Wednesday, the US-based Carter Center, invited by Venezuelan officials to monitor Sunday’s presidential elections, announced that it could not verify nor confirm the election results announced by the CNE. The Center also stated that the secrecy of detailed results from individual polling stations "electoral process did not meet international standards of electoral integrity."

President Maduro often cited a statement by the founder of the Carter Center, former US President Jimmy Carter, who in 2012 said: "As a matter of fact, of the 92 elections that we've monitored, I would say the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world." This time, there are significant doubts about the results.

According to the Attorney General of Venezuela, more than 1,000 people have already been arrested in the riots. He also reported that two members of the security forces were killed during the protests.

On Wednesday, President Maduro told the media that Machado and González "should be behind bars.' Costa Rica's foreign minister proposed political asylum for the pair, but the opposition leader refused, explaining that her "duty is to continue this fight with the people."

On social media late Wednesday evening, Machado called on her supporters to "mobilize". She wrote on X, "It’s time to trust each other. Remain active and determined. Winning took some time; now, it's time to gather" - she encouraged.

Maduro said that his government has approached China and Russia for help regarding the alleged attacks on the electoral system. Venezuela's Defense Minister, General Vladimir Padrino, stated that "a coup is underway" but emphasized that the country’s armed forces would help defeat it.

The 61-year-old president is a former union leader and foreign minister. He won the election after the death of former President Hugo Chávez in 2013. The opposition deemed the 2018 elections fraudulent.

Maduro's victory may lead to further migration from Venezuela. Once the wealthiest country on the continent, it has already seen one-third of its population emigrate.