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Pressure is mounting on the streets of Venezuela after at least six people were killed and more than 700 detained in the protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s controversial re-election.
The non-governmental organisation Foro Penal wrote on X on Tuesday that two young people were among the victims of the Monday protests that turned violent.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, one police officer was also killed.
Across the country, 749 demonstrators have been detained, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said.

Those arrested had attacked police stations, electoral offices, town halls and hospitals, he said. They are accused of terrorism, incitement to hatred and blocking public roads, he added.
The crisis-stricken country is facing a fresh wave of unrest after Maduro was officially declared the winner of Sunday’s vote, securing the authoritarian left-wing leader a third six-year term in office.
The opposition has refused to recognise the official result and has made allegations of election fraud.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital Caracas to support opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez on Tuesday.
“The only thing we are willing to negotiate is the peaceful transition,” opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said, as protesters chanted “we have no fear”.
The government camp also plans to bring its supporters to the streets. President Maduro said that there had been over 100 attacks after the election.
“We are dealing with a coup d’état instigated by the fascist forces of the extreme right with the support of the imperial forces, US imperialism,” said Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. “We will thwart this coup d’état.”
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk expressed concern about the violence. “I am alarmed by reports of the disproportionate use of force by security forces and armed groups supporting the government,” he said in a statement.

“I call on the government to respect the right of all Venezuelans to assemble, protest peacefully and express their opinions freely and without fear.”
The National Electoral Council officially declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election with 51.2 per cent of the vote, while González received 44.2 per cent.
Machado said to media representatives on Monday that the government opponents had access to 73 per cent of the result lists, which indicated an insurmountable lead for the challenger.
She said Gonzalez had won in all states and received over 6.2 million votes, while Maduro received only 2.7 million.
Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, said that over 100 attacks have been recorded in the country since Sunday, blaming the United States and the opposition.
“This is a fascist, counter-revolutionary and criminal group,” he added.

The US government and several Latin American countries have expressed doubts about the official election result.
US President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on Venezuela’s government to release full, transparent and detailed voting data from the election.
“The two leaders shared the perspective that the Venezuelan election outcome represents a critical moment for democracy in the hemisphere, and they pledged to remain in close coordination on the issue,” the White House said in a statement.
However, Maduro has received support from Latin American countries such as Cuba and Honduras, as well as political backing from China and Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday decried the protests on Tuesday, saying: “Of course, it is very important that these attempts to aggravate the situation in Venezuela are not fuelled by third countries and that Venezuela remains free from external interference”.
Oil-rich Venezuela has suffered in recent years from mismanagement, corruption and international sanctions.


More than 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line.
According to the UN, over 7 million people – about a quarter of the population – have left the oil-rich country in recent years due to poverty and violence.
The desperate situation has led to repeated protests against Maduro’s rule, but he has been able to survive despite intense pressure to step down.
After the last contested elections in 2018, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the legitimate president of the country and was recognised by the United States and other Western countries, but Maduro was able to retain the support of powerful groups within Venezuela, including the military.
Following his latest controversial win, Maduro is set to begin his third six-year term in January 2025.


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Bolivarian National Guard detain demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: Reuters

Demonstrators gather to protest election results in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: Reuters

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a rally at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. Photo: AFP

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Photo: Reuters

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A demonstrator walks in front of police officers during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government in Caracas. Photo: AFP

Demonstrators in Caracas on Monday. Photo: AFP

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Photo: EPA-EFE

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Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (left) poses with the president of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, in Caracas on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez arrives for a church service after voting in the presidential election in Caracas on Sunday. Photo: AP

Voters line up outside a polling station in Caracas on Sunday. Photo: AP

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Members of the international delegation of electoral observers visit one of the main voting centres in the upcoming presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela on July 26. Caracas was accused of blocking international observers from arriving for Sunday’s vote. Photo: AFP

A volunteer sits near a ballot box while preparing a biometric identification system at a voting station set up at a school, ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. Photo: Reuters

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, who is seeking re-election for a third term, waves the national flag during the closing of his political campaign, in Caracas on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, warned his long-term ally Nicolas Maduro that Venezuela’s economic future hinges on a clean election that ensures government legitimacy before the international community. Photo: Bloomberg

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro secures third term, but opposition also claims election victory

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after the election results in Caracas. Photo: AFP

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with supporters in Caracas. Photo: AFP

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Photo: AFP

Election staffers counting votes in Caracas. Photo: AFP

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World

Americas

Venezuelan streets fill with protesters opposing President Nicolas Maduro’s claim of election victory


Pressure is mounting on the streets of Venezuela after at least six people were killed and more than 700 detained in the protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s controversial re-election.
