A Month After Venezuela’s Contested Election, Opposition Continues the Fight

One month after Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, the opposition is ramping up its efforts to challenge the outcome. The opposition, which claims that the July 28 vote was stolen by incumbent President Nicolás Maduro, has called for mass rallies on Wednesday to demand international recognition of its “victory.”
This will mark the fourth round of organized demonstrations since the election, which saw both sides declaring victory. The National Electoral Council, heavily aligned with Maduro, declared him the winner, despite widespread calls from Latin American countries, the United States, and the European Union for transparency. The council has yet to release detailed polling-station data, citing a computer hack, though observers have questioned this explanation.
Since the election, opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia have largely been in hiding, with Maduro publicly calling for their arrest. Spontaneous protests following the election resulted in at least 25 civilian deaths and over 2,400 arrests.
Machado emerged for the previous rallies on August 3 and 17 in Caracas and attended the first rally on July 30, where González Urrutia was last seen in public. She has since urged supporters to take to the streets again, calling for a large turnout in Caracas, across Venezuela, and in cities around the world. “We will not rest. Let’s go to the end!!” Machado posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The opposition coalition, Unitary Platform, is encouraging supporters to bring their families to the protests to push for the recognition of what they claim is their “glorious victory” in the face of alleged electoral fraud.
The National Electoral Council, dominated by Maduro loyalists, declared him the victor shortly after polls closed. The council has refused to release detailed voting data, attributing the delay to hacking, a claim that has not been substantiated by independent observers.
In response, the opposition has released its own records, claiming that González Urrutia, a 74-year-old retired diplomat, won by a significant margin. This release has led to state prosecutors summoning González Urrutia on charges of “usurpation” of official powers, which could result in a 30-year sentence. The opposition has denounced this as “judicial harassment.”
Meanwhile, Maduro has continued with his plans for a third term by reshuffling his cabinet, appointing Diosdado Cabello, a high-ranking member of the ruling United Socialist Party, as the new interior minister, and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the oil minister.
On Tuesday, Machado accused Maduro’s government of “kidnapping” her lawyer, adding to the list of more than 100 opposition activists reportedly detained in recent months. Six of Machado’s key collaborators have taken refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas.
As the situation continues to develop, the international community remains watchful, with the outcome of the ongoing conflict likely to shape Venezuela’s political future.