The images of the marches in Venezuela and the world against the regime of Nicolás Maduro

“We are not afraid!”: thousands of opponents They demonstrated this Thursday against the inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro, waiting for María Corina Machado to come out of hiding to lead the protest in Venezuela.

Chavismo also called for a parallel demonstration to support Maduro, who on Friday will assume his questioned third consecutive six-year term, in the midst of a new wave of arrests of opponents and civil society leaders that sparked international condemnation.

“Freedom, freedom!” chanted protesters in the commercial neighborhood of Chacao, one of the four points called by the opposition. “We are not afraid! Long live free Venezuela! How long will this dictatorship last?”

“Edmundo president, here are your people, Edmundo has already won, he is our president!” they also exclaimed.

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The opposition accuses Maduro of “stealing” the July 28 elections and claims the victory of Edmundo González Urrutia, already in the Dominican Republic for the last stop of a tour with an uncertain destination: he wants to fly to his country to assume power but the plan seems unlikely.

“We will all see each other very soon in Caracas in freedom,” González Urrutia promised at an event in Santo Domingo with President Luis Abinader.

Protests in Caracas, Venezuela

The streets of Caracas woke up deserted mid-morning and taken over by heavily armed security forces. The government, which often denounces plans to overthrow Maduro from the United States and Colombia, announced the capture of two Americans – “a senior FBI official” and “a senior military official” – whom it linked to a coup d’état, which Washington denies.

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The opposition call increased as the hours went by but It is scarce compared to the massive campaign events: There is fear, established in July, after the brutal repression of the demonstrations that broke out after the proclamation of the leftist ruler, leaving 28 dead, almost 200 injured and more than 2,400 detained.

Dozens of police and intelligence personnel were deployed at opposition concentration points, where Chavismo also He installed pompous platforms with loud music.

“There is no platform that can handle hope,” shouted a woman in the commercial neighborhood of Chacao. “They are the past!”

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“For my children I’m going to leave my skin on the asphalt but it will be worth it.” because Venezuela will be free”, said Rafael Castillo, 70. “They are government demons who are feeding on the blood of the people and we cannot allow that.”

Thousands of Maduro’s followers began to gather at the entrance to the gigantic complex of Petare neighborhoods to march. They carry flags and banners.

“The only elected president in this country is called Nicolás Maduro, the people elected him and the people support him,” Noelí Bolívar, 38, told AFP.

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Opposition and Chavista marches were replicated in other cities in the country, such as Ciudad Guayana, in the mining state of Bolívar (south), and San Cristóbal, Táchira state, bordering Colombia.

“This is a tyranny, what is coming is going to be worse, that is why we have to fight until the end,” expressed Milen Martínez in Guayana.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado reappeared at a protest in Caracas surrounded by hundreds of followers, after remaining in hiding since last August 28, when he went out to demonstrate to claim the victory of the anti-Chavista Edmundo González Urrutia in the presidential elections, whose victory was awarded by the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by the ruling party, to Nicolás Maduro.

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More than four months after his last public appearance and one day before the presidential inauguration, which both Maduro and González Urrutia promise to assume, Machado appeared on the street, as he had promised his followers last Tuesday, during a virtual press conference, to claim, once again, the opposition victory in the elections on July 28.

“I have never felt so proud in my life. All over Venezuela people took to the streets,” she said, upon arriving at the place where thousands of people had been waiting for her hours before.

“We are not afraid,” shouted Machado, a statement that had already become a slogan that was adopted by those present, who chanted with the former deputy.

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The opposition leader stated that the members of the Government “have been left alone internationally,” to which the protesters responded in unison with the cry of “freedom.”

Hundreds of people have begun to gather at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol to participate in the rally called by the Venezuelan opposition.

The protesters began to gather in the square an hour before the start of the protest, among them the father of the opposition leader Leopoldo López and relatives of soldiers imprisoned in Venezuela exhibiting their photos.

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With shouts of “Maduro out, Edmundo president”, “No to fraud”, “You see it, you feel it, Edmundo president” and “Glory to the brave people” The concentration has begun, which many attendees support with their faces painted with the colors of the Venezuelan national flag.

They also came armed with numerous flags of the country, hats and yellow, blue and red balloons and banners with the names of detainees and asking for justice.

They also display slogans like “Maduro murderer”, “Freedom for all political prisoners” or “No to fraud”.

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The rally has the support of the Spanish right and the attendance of the leaders of the conservative Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the far-right Vox, Santiago Abascal, as well as the former presidents of PP governments Mariano Rajoy and José María Aznar, are expected to attend.

It is expected that one of the most important mobilizations called for will take place in Madrid. by the Venezuelan opposition, which has also taken to the streets on the eve of the presidential inauguration ceremony in Caracas.

A group of Venezuelans gathered this Thursday outside their country’s embassy in Lima, in response to the call of opposition leader María Corina Machado and in support of Edmundo González Urrutia, whom they consider their elected president and hope will take office. on Friday the presidency of Venezuela.

Dozens of Venezuelans attended the rally dressed in the colors of their flag and waving their insignia in the vicinity of their embassy in the enclosure of Lima, which remains closed after the government of President Nicolás Maduro broke diplomatic relations with Peru for having recognized González Urrutia as president-elect.

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Chanting “Venezuela, freedom!”, the protesters recalled that there are more than seven million Venezuelans forced out of their country by the Maduro regime and They asked the international community to act in favor of the return of democracy in their country.

While Venezuelans gathered in an increasingly large group, in support of the anti-Chavista leaders, The president of the Peruvian Congress, Eduardo Salhuana, expressed his “full solidarity” before local media to the “brothers” of Venezuela mobilized in different cities around the world.

“The people have to be respected in their vote,” said Salhuana, reiterating support for González Urrutia’s electoral victory and trusting that “there were no physical injuries affected” during the demonstrations held both in the Caribbean country and abroad.

Hundreds of people gathered this Thursday in several cities in Colombia, the country that welcomes the most Venezuelans, in a protest in support of opposition leaders Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, promising that they will go “to the end” with them, on the eve of the presidential inauguration in the neighboring country.

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“The 10th is today. Until the end” read on one of the few signs present in the Plaza de Lourdes, in the wealthy Chapinero neighborhood of Bogotá, where half a thousand Venezuelans came to support the opposition with flags and T-shirts of the country.

“Today as Venezuelans we take to the streets heeding the call of our leader María Corina Machado, who asks us to take to the streets to achieve freedom for Venezuela. “Today we go out to shout for freedom, for the elections to be respected because a tyranny cannot be left by force,” The organization coordinator of the Command with Venezuela in Colombia, Fermín Sandoval, told EFE.

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“I never lose faith,” said Fernando Uzcategui, a Venezuelan who has lived in Colombia for several years and who believes that “The (Maduro) regime feels cornered and we have to wait and see what happens.”

“I feel that the regime is not going to let go of power so easily. Surely there are going to be difficult times, but in the very short term I think there will be a change because I feel it is unsustainable,” said this young man about what could happen on Friday in his country.

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Presidential inauguration in Venezuela

The presidential inauguration ceremony is scheduled for Friday at noon in Parliament, which Chavismo controls. González Urrutia, who sought asylum in Spain on September 8 after an arrest warrant against him, He has said that he wants to return to Venezuela to assume power.

He is on a tour that took him to Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, Panama and the Dominican Republic, where President Luis Abinader showed him his firm support.

González Urrutia did not specify his next steps, if he will try to travel to Caracas with a group of former right-wing presidents.

The Venezuelan authorities – who are offering $100,000 for his capture – have already warned that If he arrives in the country “he will be detained immediately” and their international companions treated as “invaders.”