María Corina Machado said that it is time to evaluate what has happened and what will happen after July 28. She explained that when they talk about “collecting” they are referring to making sure that “every vote is respected because there is nothing above the voice of the sovereign” and that everyone recognizes Edmundo González as president-elect.
“Never before has society rebelled in this way and exposed the tyrant as it has now,” said María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition this Saturday, August 17, at the demonstration held in Caracas to condemn the National Electoral Council (CNE) declaring Nicolás Maduro the winner in the elections of July 28, when the opposition claims that the records give the victory to Edmundo González.
According to Machado, the fact that Venezuelans have come out to vote against the ruling party and support the candidate of the Unitary Platform and that they continue to protest in the streets despite the persecutions, intimidation and imprisonments is proof of “the greatest civic feat in the history of Venezuela.” He asked Venezuelans to understand all the events that have occurred since the day of the elections.
“What happened on July 28 and 29 has the world in awe. We have set a new standard for voting and surveillance,” he said.
*Read also: Venezuelans protest in more than 115 cities around the world to denounce electoral fraud
He also said that the unity and organization of Venezuelans and the large number of people who came out to exercise their right to vote (more than 12 million) “surprised a regime that is disconnected from reality,” because he said that the government was counting on the fact that because of fear and threats, citizens would not go out to vote.
María Corina Machado insisted that it is necessary to evaluate what has happened and what is to come. She explained that when they talk about “collecting” they are referring to making sure that “every vote is respected because there is nothing above the voice of the sovereign.” She demands that everyone inside and outside Venezuela and the entire world recognize that the President-elect is Edmundo González Urrutia.
The opposition leader condemned the campaign of “horrible repression” unleashed by the government against anyone who dissents. “They have persecuted leaders, arrested citizens, gone against people who have only walked in the street, taken young people from their homes in the neighborhoods,” Machado listed and stated that with these actions “the only thing the government achieves is to sink further and further. They are exposed before the world.”
Earlier, María Corina Machado denounced that after the presidential elections the ruling party had carried out more than 130 arrests against opponents, but only between the night of Friday, August 16 and midday on Saturday, August 17, almost a dozen new arrests of ordinary citizens and political leaders had been recorded.
*Read also: Arrests against opponents on #17Aug began before the protests
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