Venezuela's opposition is urging global protests.

 

On August 17, Venezuela's opposition has called for global protests. Following the presidential elections on July 28, incumbent President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE). Despite this, the opposition contends they won the election and is seeking international support for their claim through these protests.

With this victory, Maduro has secured his third consecutive term as president of Venezuela.

The opposition has accused the government of widespread election result manipulation, asserting that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia actually won more votes than incumbent President Nicolás Maduro. They are demanding that the full vote results be made public.

In a video message posted on social media, opposition leader María Corina Machado announced that protests will be held both in Venezuela and globally on August 17. She urged supporters to "raise our voices together so that the whole world supports our victory and recognizes true and popular sovereignty."

Separately, Gonzalez Urrutia declared, "We won. Venezuela won. See you on August 17."

Both leaders have been in hiding for over a week, with Machado recently expressing concerns for her safety.

Meanwhile, many Venezuelan opposition members have reportedly been detained, and several countries, including the United States, have refused to recognize Maduro's victory, calling for greater transparency in the election results.