The Streets Have Become the Key Battleground Between Chavismo and the Far-Right Opposition

Pablo Meriguet, Orinoco Tribune, August7, 2024 — 

The far-right opposition in Venezuela has attempted to mobilize on the streets to give weight behind their fraud narrative. Meanwhile, Chavismo continues to mobilize tens of thousands day after day

This past weekend, massive marches were held in Venezuela in favor and against the results of the presidential elections. Chavismo and the opposition tried to show who has the majority support in the streets.

Opposition demonstrations were held in several locations of the country such as Anaco, Maracay, Valencia, Barinas, and Maracaibo, among other cities. However, the most important demonstration took place in Caracas, where opposition leader (but not the presidential candidate), María Corina Machado, called on supporters to confront the official results.

Although María Corina Machado denounced that she was being persecuted, she made a public speech in front of hundreds of supporters, in which she declared that the opposition protests are civic and peaceful, and never violent.

This declaration is of course in stark contrast to the reality of previous days wherein opposition activists attacked educational institutions, police stations, hospitals, pharmacies, as well as offices of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, and almost a dozen offices of the National Electoral Council.

In other sectors of the capital, the PSUV called for a Great National March for Peace in support of the official results and in favor of stability. Demonstrators marched from several points of the city to converge at the Presidential Palace of Miraflores. There was also a caravan of motorcycles that toured the perimeter of the city.

There were also demonstrations in other cities of the Caribbean country such as Valera, and Nueva Esparta, as well as in several states such as Lara, and Trujillo, among others. Maduro said that the alliance that defends the results is that of the “People’s Power in civic-military-police union” and added that “they will continue defending [their] country with truth and law”.

The opposition has already declared that Edmundo González, who according to the National Electoral Council, lost in the last elections, is the winner of the polls. Repeating the strategy carried out with Juan Guaidó, the United States decided to recognize González as the winner of the elections.

Meanwhile, dozens of countries in the region congratulated Maduro for his victory, while some countries are still waiting for the results of the audit carried out by the Supreme Court of Justice, a process personally requested by Maduro to clarify any doubts about the legality of the electoral process.

For the time being, the outcome of the opposition’s political dispute does not seem to be settled by the responsible bodies, since the opposition refused to recognize the authority of the state institutions. On the contrary, the opposition has chosen the streets to assert its alleged right to govern. However, Chavismo has a political and social structure that can face the opposition’s challenge.