Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, after 133 days in hiding, reappeared on Thursday to participate in a protest defending the claimed electoral victory of anti-Chavista Edmundo González Urrutia, on the eve of the presidential inauguration, which resulted in his kidnapping and subsequent release. The incident was quickly condemned by González Urrutia, who is in the Dominican Republic, and by a large part of the international community, demanding his immediate release.
During the protest in Caracas, echoed in numerous cities in the country and around the world, Machado reiterated that "this is over," referring to Chavismo, in power since 1999 and claiming to govern for another six years with President Nicolás Maduro at the helm, following his fraudulent reelection in the July 28 elections, where he was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Maduro promises a third term of "peace" and economic recovery, after spending much of his 12 years in power in recession, high inflation, and scarcity. More than seven million Venezuelans have migrated fleeing the crisis, according to the UN.
The largest anti-Chavista bloc demands the release of a member of Machado's press team
Venezuela's main opposition, grouped in the Democratic Unity Platform (PUD), demanded on Thursday the release of journalist Julio Balza, a member of leader María Corina Machado's team, detained after an anti-Chavista protest in Caracas on the eve of the presidential inauguration.
The PUD stated that exercising the right to peaceful protest and freedom of the press "does not constitute any crime."
Likewise, the anti-Chavista coalition demanded the release of those detained in several states in the country in the context of the protests called by Machado.
Colombia Denounces "Systematic Harassment" against Opposition Leader Machado in Venezuela
The Colombian government expressed on Thursday its rejection of the "systematic harassment" against Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who, according to her team, was "forcibly detained" in Caracas and later released after participating in a protest against President Nicolás Maduro, as reported by Afp.
"The systematic harassment of opposition leaders, including María Corina Machado, leads the Colombian Government to reiterate the call to Venezuelan authorities to fully respect their rights," the Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russian Duma President Arrives in Venezuela for Maduro's Inauguration
The President of the Russian Duma or Chamber of Deputies, Viacheslav Volodin, has arrived in Venezuela for the inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro, as reported by the Russian press on Friday.
According to the TASS agency, Volodin will represent Russia at Maduro's inauguration ceremony on behalf of President Vladimir Putin.
Putin congratulated Maduro on his victory in the July 28, 2024 elections, rejected by the Venezuelan opposition and questioned by several countries.
Peru Demands "Immediate Release of All Arbitrarily Detained Individuals" in Venezuela
The Peruvian Government demanded on Thursday the "immediate release of all individuals arbitrarily detained in Venezuela," as well as the "unrestricted respect for the freedom of expression and political participation of Venezuelans," as reported by Efe.
The Peruvian Presidency also expressed, in a brief statement posted on social media, its "serious concern and strong condemnation of the increase and seriousness of the complaints" in the Caribbean country.
Venezuelans in Guatemala Reject Maduro's Inauguration
Dozens of Venezuelan citizens residing in Guatemala protested on Thursday against Nicolás Maduro's swearing-in for a third term as president, showing solidarity with opposition leaders in their country, as reported by Efe.
With Venezuelan flags and candles, around 150 Venezuelans living in Guatemala gathered in front of the Simón Bolívar monument to support from a distance the critical moment in the South American nation.
Colombia Will Maintain Relations with Venezuela but Does Not Endorse Electoral Results
The Colombian government reaffirmed on Thursday that it will maintain diplomatic relations with Venezuela but stated, a day before the presidential inauguration, that it does not endorse the official results that declared current President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the July 28 elections, as reported by Efe.
"Due to the close economic, commercial, social, cultural, humanitarian, and security relationship that impacts citizens of both countries, Colombia has decided responsibly to maintain bilateral relations with Venezuela, which does not imply an endorsement of the electoral results," said Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo in a statement.
Edmundo González Appreciates Venezuelans' Fearlessness in Demanding Their Rights
Edmundo González Urrutia, recognized by the opposition and several governments as the legitimate winner of the Venezuelan presidential elections, expressed pride in the multiple expressions of support he received on Thursday in the Venezuelan streets and from other parts of the world, on the eve of the presidential inauguration in the Caribbean country, as reported by Efe.
"Venezuelans are not afraid! It filled me with pride and emotion to see the streets filled with brave men and women demanding their rights," González Urrutia expressed in a message posted on his X account.
IACHR Reminds that María Corina Machado is a "Beneficiary of Precautionary Measures"
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned the "persistent practices of state terrorism" in Venezuela and reminded that anti-Chavista leader María Corina Machado is a "beneficiary of precautionary measures," as reported by Efe.
"In the context of the opposition's demonstrations, political leader María Corina Machado was detained. Faced with these events, the Commission recalls that the leader is a beneficiary of precautionary measures, granted to ensure that she can carry out her political participation activities without being subjected to threats, harassment, or acts of violence in the exercise of these," the IACHR stated in a press release.