Caracas: Amid ongoing disputes over the election outcomes that have seen President Nicolas Maduro win a second term, the protests escalated on Tuesday, with an increasing number of individuals joining the demonstrations, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Maria Corina Machado, representing the opposition, encouraged families to participate in "popular assemblies" across the country on Tuesday.
Machado disclosed to journalists the previous day that an examination of the available voting records from Sunday's election revealed that presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had secured a "categorical and mathematically irreversible" victory over Maduro.
The leaders of the opposition made an appearance at a meeting in Caracas' capital on Tuesday. "We are confronting a fraud orchestrated by the regime," Machado declared, advocating for peaceful demonstrations.
A sizable assembly, many of whom were waving Venezuelan flags, shouted: "We are not intimidated!"
Opposition demonstrators also took to the streets in various cities including Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal, Maracaibo, and Barquisimeto throughout the day.
The protests occurred a day after the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially declared Maduro's re-election by a majority of the Venezuelan population to a six-year term as president for the years 2025-2031.
This declaration sparked widespread outrage, leading to thousands of protesters taking to the streets to express their dissent against Maduro and his administration. They faced resistance from police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets, as reported by Al Jazeera.
A local watchdog group, the Venezuelan Conflict Observatory, reported that by Monday evening, it had documented 187 protests in 20 states, with "multiple instances of repression and violence" by paramilitary forces and security personnel.
The rights organization Foro Penal stated that at least 11 individuals had died due to incidents related to the election process or the protests.
Conversely, the opposition party Voluntad Popular shared on social media that its national coordinator, Freddy Superlano, had been detained.
Ignoring the international criticism and skepticism regarding the poll results, Maduro accused the opposition of being involved in an "attempted coup d'etat" aimed at a "fascist and counter-revolutionary" nature.
His administration labeled the protesters as "violent agitators," and Maduro directly pointed fingers at Gonzalez, his opponent in the presidential race, for the worsening situation.
"I hold Gonzalez accountable for everything that is transpiring in Venezuela, including criminal violence...the injured, the deceased, and the destruction," Maduro stated. He also assured that "justice will prevail," Al Jazeera reported.
