Thousands of supporters of the Venezuelan opposition took to the streets ahead of Maduro’s third inauguration

• Venezuela’s opposition parties and their supporters protested across the country on Thursday in a bid to put last-minute pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, a day before he is to be sworn in for his third six-year term.
• Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s most popular opposition leader, has appeared for the first time since August when she was hiding in an unknown location.
• Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (62) has been in power since 2013.

Venezuelan opposition parties and their supporters – including host Maria Corina Machadowho was in hiding – protested across the country on Thursday in an eleventh-hour bid to pressure President Nicolás Maduro, a day before he was due to be sworn in for his third six-year term.

The opposition and the ruling party are in an ongoing dispute over last year’s presidential election, which both claim to have won.

State election bodies and the supreme court say Maduro, whose time in power has been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, won the July election, although they have never released detailed results.

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The government, which has accused the opposition of fomenting fascist plots against it, said it would arrest opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez if he returned to the country and detained prominent opposition members and activists ahead of the inauguration.

The opposition says Gonzalez, 75, won in a landslide. She released her own voting results as proof, winning the support of governments around the world, including the United States, which considers Gonzalez the president-elect.

Machado, who is the country’s most popular opposition leader but is barred from running in 2024, joined the protest in Chacao in eastern Caracas around 14:20 local time (18:20 GMT), wearing a white shirt and blue jeans and waving with the Venezuelan flag from the roof of the truck.

“They have lost the streets, which are ours, they are barricaded in Miraflores (the presidential palace),” Machado told the crowd. “As of today, we are in a new phase.”

Her appearance marked her first public appearance since August when she went into hiding in an undisclosed location.

Machado, 57, urged protesters to flood the streets peacefully and repeatedly asked members of the police and military – who guarded polling stations during the election – to support Gonzalez’s victory.

“I’m not afraid, I lost my fear a long time ago,” said 70-year-old Neglis Payares, a retired central bank worker, as she gathered with other opposition supporters in western Caracas in the morning.

“We don’t know how many of them have their hearts on our side,” she added, gesturing toward security forces gathered near the protest.

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Reuters witnesses estimate that around 7,000 people gathered in Caracas around 2:20 p.m. local time. In the days after the election, thousands also took to the streets.

Maduro (62) was in power since 2013. It has the vocal support of leaders in the armed forces and intelligence services, which are run by close allies of powerful Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

“I am confident that nothing will happen,” Cabello said on state television on Monday. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to let our guard down.”

The military’s financial interests make loyalties unlikely, BancTrust, a London-based investment bank, said in a note. “A limited military rebellion would entail significant risks for those involved, thereby reducing the incentives to participate,” it said.

‘WE HAVE NO JOB’

Security forces set up checkpoints across the country.

In the western oil city of Maracaibo, an opposition protest of dozens of people was quickly dispersed by security forces on motorcycles by late morning. In the center of Valencia, protesters gathered in a different location after initially being met with tear gas.

Opposition supporters also gathered in San Cristobal, near the border with Colombia, in the western city of Barquisimet and in the eastern Puerto Ordaz.

“I’m here because we need to get rid of this government. We have no money, we have no work,” said 62-year-old housewife Roisa Gomez at a protest in the central city of Maracay. “I am fighting for my vote, which I gave to Edmund Gonzalez. They cannot steal the election.”

Soon after, security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters in Maracay.

Many of the protesters were of retirement age and said they wanted changes so that their migrant children and grandchildren could return to the country. More than 7 million Venezuelans live abroad.

The ruling party held rival marches across the country, images of which were broadcast on state television.

“We came out to show that there is democracy. On this side are patriots who will swear an oath with Nicolas (Maduro), on the other side are fascists who want (foreign) intervention, war, to sell their country,” said the 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver from Caracas Manual Rincon.

Gonzalez, who has been on a tour of America this week and met with US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has repeatedly vowed to return to Venezuela but has not given details on how.

An arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez for the alleged conspiracy, prompting his September escape to Spain.

Machado is under investigation by the attorney general in at least two cases, but no warrants have been released for her.

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The government detained several high-profile politicians and activists, including a former presidential candidate. This week, the attorney general’s office said it had freed more than 1,500 of the 2,000 people, including teenagers, detained during the post-election protests.

Venezuelans living abroad also held protests, including in Madrid, where Gonzalez’s daughter Carolina Gonzalez spoke to hundreds of protesters.

“My dad sends a hug to all of you, kudos to the brave people of Venezuela,” she said, her voice breaking.