January 10, The Decisive Day for Venezuela Has Arrived
HAVANA TIMES – Venezuelan citizens took to the streets on Thursday January 9th to defend Edmundo Gonzalez’s electoral victory of July 28, 2024. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called for nationwide demonstrations to support Gonzalez’s potential inauguration on January 10.
Machado emerged from hiding after 133 days and joined the protest in Chacao, one of several demonstrations held in the Metropolitan District of Caracas. She was greeted with applause before addressing the crowd. “Let there be no doubt: what happens tomorrow will decide the end of the regime!” exclaimed Machado, the nation’s most prominent opposition figure.
Machado’s call extended beyond Venezuela to countries with large Venezuelan migrant populations. El Toque interviewed several demonstrators in Spain, including those gathered at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and in Alicante province.
The Regime’s Response
After leaving the protest, reports from sources close to Machado indicated that the motorcycle she was riding was intercepted by police forces. Shots were fired during the incident. “She was forcibly detained. During her abduction, she was made to record several videos before being released. In the coming hours, she will address the nation to explain what happened,” stated a post from the Comando Con Venezuela account on their social networks.
Minutes after her interception, a video began circulating on pro-government accounts, allegedly showing Machado unharmed. However, neither she nor her team has verified the video’s authenticity.
Days earlier, Machado had stated that if anything happened to her, her team had instructions not to negotiate her freedom.
The Maduro regime responded to the opposition protests with a massive deployment of police and military forces, especially in downtown Caracas, home to the Miraflores Palace and government offices. Since the previous week, hundreds of armed agents had taken control of these areas under the pretext of a “defense plan.”
Although many protests were peaceful, citizen reports confirmed state repression in several locations. In Carabobo, officers from the Bolivarian National Guard attacked the protesters. In other areas, paramilitary groups opened fire on demonstrators.
Tensions Ahead of the Inauguration
In the days leading up to Friday’s inauguration, tensions have escalated nationwide. By January 7th, 17 people had been abducted by pro-government forces, including Gonzalez’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares. Opposition figures Enrique Marquez and Carlos Correa, director of the NGO Espacio Publico, were also detained. Additionally, Machado’s elderly mother was harassed by authorities.
Protests following the stolen July 28th election resulted in 28 deaths, nearly 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests, according to human rights organizations.
The Arrival of Edmundo Gonzalez
Gonzalez, who has been in exile in Spain, plans to assume office as the elected president on January 10, somewhere on Venezuelan territory. Several former Latin American presidents intend to accompany him during the swearing-in ceremony. The regime has threatened him with imprisonment if he returns to Venezuela.
Venezuelan sociologist and activist Rafael Uzcátegui told El Toque that González’s inauguration depends on fractures within the ruling regime. “The focus of the current democratic alternative is to appeal to the conscience of those democratic sectors to stop obeying tomorrow. The leadership of Maria Corina and Edmundo will remain intact. Regardless of what happens on January 10, they will remain key figures in the country’s political landscape,” Uzcátegui stated.
After being forced into exile in September 2024, Gonzalez sought support and recognition in several European and Latin American countries. As of January 9, he was in the Dominican Republic, the final stop in a tour that included Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, and Panama.
While in the Central American nation, he submitted the official records demonstrating his electoral victory. These documents are currently stored in a vault at the National Bank of Panama.
The opposition managed to gather 85.18% of the electoral records from the July 28, 2024 elections. The results have been endorsed by multiple nonpartisan organizations, including the Carter Center in the United States. According to this preliminary but definitive count, Gonzalez Urrutia secured 67% of the vote.
Firs published in Spanish by EL Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.