Venezuelans march over contested election, number of detained rises

By Mircely Guanipa, Vivian Sequera and Tibisay Romero

CARACAS/VALENCIA, Venezuela (Reuters) -Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado emerged from hiding on Saturday to join her supporters protesting in the streets of Caracas against contested national election results, as thousands marched all across the South American country.

“Just as it took us a long time to achieve electoral victory, now comes a stage that we take day by day, but we have never been as strong as today, never,” Machado told supporters in Caracas.

Venezuela’s electoral authority, blasted by critics as favoring the ruling socialists, proclaimed President Nicolas Maduro the winner in last Sunday’s vote, saying on Monday he obtained 51% compared to 46% for opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. The authority reaffirmed a similar margin on Friday.

The published election result sparked widespread allegations of fraud and protests. Subsequently security forces cracked down on protests which Maduro’s government labeled part of an attempted U.S.-backed coup.

Supporters were happy to see Machado in the streets after the leader said in a Thursday op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that she was in hiding and feared for her life.

“I am happy because I am here with Maria Corina, supporting Venezuela to escape this terrible injustice,” said housewife Yamilet Rondon, 42, who was waving a Venezuelan flag.

In addition to Caracas, demonstrations took place in cities including Valencia, Maracaibo and San Cristobal.

“I came to this march with some fear, with fear of the repression we’ve seen, but it is our struggle,” preschool teacher Susana Martinez, 42, said at a demonstration backing the opposition in Valencia.

Marches backing Maduro were expected to begin later, yet some of his supporters were already on the streets.

“Today we are here heeding the call of our president … to defend democracy,” Alfredo Valera, president of Venezuela’s Fontur union, who took part in a pro-government caravan in Caracas, told state television.

So far, at least 20 people have been killed in post-election protests, according to rights group Human Rights Watch. Some 1,200 others have been arrested in connection with the demonstrations, according to the government.

During the week, some Venezuelans have appeared outside police stations seeking news of their detained family members.

The Organization of American States urged peace in Venezuela ahead of the planned demonstrations.

“Today we urge that there not be one more political prisoner, nor one more tortured person, nor one more disappeared person, nor one more murdered person,” said the OAS, which this week called the election results unreliable.

Nations including the U.S. and Argentina have already recognized Gonzalez as the election’s winner, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday citing “overwhelming evidence.” Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Uruguay also concluded on Friday that Gonzalez received the most votes.

Others, including Russia, China and Cuba, have congratulated Maduro.