- Maria Corina Machado attended the opposition rally in Caracas. Citizens gathered in Venezuela and abroad to reject the CNE results. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner urged the CNE to present the electoral records | Main photo: EFE
This Saturday, August 3, opposition leader María Corina Machado attended the opposition rally in Caracas. In addition, citizens gathered in Venezuela and abroad to reject the results of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict (OVCS) warned of an increase in the repression of protests in Venezuela. And a hypertensive woman who had been arrested in Miranda.
On the international stage, former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner urged the CNE to present the electoral records. In addition, Chile reiterated that it does not recognize Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the Venezuelan elections.
Zelensky expressed concern about alleged Wagner mercenaries in Venezuela, while diplomats from Argentina and Chile have arrived in their respective countries after being expelled from Venezuela.
Below are the most relevant news from Saturday, August 3:
Opposition leader María Corina Machado attended the rally that took place on the main avenue of Las Mercedes, in Baruta (Caracas), despite expressing that she fears for her safety and that she is currently under protection.
Machado arrived at the meeting point at approximately 1:15 p.m. and addressed those attending the demonstration, despite having recently declared that she fears for her life and that she will remain protected to protect her physical integrity.
“There is no legal maneuver that can hide the truth. They have lost all legitimacy, after a brutal repression they thought they were going to silence us, frighten us or paralyze us,” he said.
Machado also thanked the witnesses and members of the polling station who defended the vote after the closing of the polling stations on Sunday, July 28.
Hundreds of citizens gathered on Saturday, August 3 in several states of the country and abroad to reject the CNE results, which declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential elections.
Some of the states that reported attendees at the rallies were Aragua, Bolívar, Carabobo, Mérida, Falcón, Táchira, Sucre and Zulia.
While the Venezuelan diaspora demonstrated in Australia, the United States, Brussels, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Panama, Chile, among other nations.
Venezuelan migrants attended the rallies with Venezuelan flags and signs in support of Edmundo González Urrutia.
The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict (OVCS) and the Center for Defenders and Justice (CDJ) warned on Saturday, August 3, about an increase in repression following protests in Venezuela against the official result of the presidential elections, where the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner.
In a statement, the NGOs warned “with concern” of the increase in violence and repression, resulting from the actions of state security forces, armed civilians, known as colectivos, and groups that make up the Popular System of Protection for Peace.
They added that, following the protests that began on July 29, the participation of armed civilians was reported, carrying out repressive actions, intimidation, harassment and social control in coordination or with the acquiescence of officials from the State security forces.
4. A hypertensive woman who had been arrested in Miranda died
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Caleidoscopio Humano reported on Saturday, August 3, that a hypertensive woman who had been detained in Petare, Miranda state, had died.
The woman was identified as Carmen Rodríguez, who was allegedly arrested after a fight with a pro-government neighbor.
According to the information, Rodriguez’s relatives warned the state security forces that she suffered from hypertension.
“Our documentation team has confirmed the death of Mrs. Carmen Rodríguez, who was kidnapped by state police forces after arguing with a pro-government community leader in Petare,” the NGO stated.
5. Cristina Fernández urged the CNE to present the electoral records
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on Saturday, August 3, joined the call for Venezuelan electoral authorities to make transparent and publish the minutes of Sunday’s elections, in which the CNE declared the current president Nicolás Maduro the winner.
At a forum organized by Mexico’s ruling party, the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), Fernández urged the CNE to publish the minutes, “not only for the Venezuelan people, for the opposition and for democracy,” but also “for the legacy of Hugo Chávez,” the former Venezuelan president (1999-2013).
“That is what we have to ask for: that the minutes be published so that everyone can scrutinize them, international public opinion, the opposition, the people of Venezuela,” Fernandez said.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Saturday, August 3, after meeting at La Moneda (headquarters of the Executive) with his ambassador to Venezuela, Jaime Gazmuri, recently expelled by the Executive of that country, that “we maintain our position: we do not recognize Maduro’s proclaimed victory and we will not validate any result that is not verified by independent international organizations,” according to what he posted on his account on the social network X.
“We also call for full respect for the human rights of protesters in Venezuela and for an end to arbitrary arrests and violence,” added the Chilean president, while describing the expulsion of the Chilean diplomatic mission from the Caribbean country as “untimely and unjustified.”
For his part, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said: “We have great respect for Edmundo González, we believe that he probably won the election, but we cannot say for sure basically because we are talking about an electoral process that has not been verified.”
7. Zelensky expressed concern about alleged Wagner mercenaries in Venezuela
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, August 3, expressed his concern over reports on social media about the alleged presence of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group in Venezuela, warning that they bring “death and destabilization” wherever they go.
“This is a clear example of shameless Russian interference in the internal affairs of other countries, as well as its usual strategy of sowing chaos around the world,” he said in a message posted on his social networks.
Zelensky said that Venezuelans are going through “very difficult times” and the only possible way out is through “peaceful and democratic means.”
“We condemn the use of force against peaceful protesters and urge everyone to respect the decision of the people. True leaders do not hide from their own people behind the backs of mercenaries,” he concluded.
8. Diplomats arrived in their respective countries after being expelled from Venezuela
Diplomats from Chile and Argentina arrived in their respective countries on Saturday, August 3, after being expelled from Venezuela by the government of Nicolás Maduro for not recognizing the results of the CNE.
“We deeply regret this unprecedented measure adopted, in an absolutely unjustified manner, by the government of Nicolás Maduro (…) it speaks very poorly of the diplomatic practices of a government, of a Latin American country,” said Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren, after receiving the delegation that arrived from Caracas, the second after the first group that arrived last Thursday following the withdrawal order issued by the Venezuelan Executive.
For their part, the Argentine diplomats recounted the journey they made from Caracas to Buenos Aires.
Four flights, more than 30 hours of travel, a week with almost no sleep and the challenge of leaving behind 20 years of life in just 72 hours were some of the circumstances that marked the departure of Argentine diplomats from Venezuela after the decision of the Government of Nicolás Maduro to expel them from the country.
In The newspaper We present you a summary of the most important information of the day, which you should know at the national and international level.
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2024-08-03 23:29:57