Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is in hiding due to threats of imprisonment, last night called on her supporters to protest today in "all cities" of the country against the frauds that, according to it, led to the re-election of President Nicolás Maduro, reported France Presse, quoted by BTA.
"We must remain firm, organized and mobilized with the pride of achieving a historic victory on July 28,", Machado said in a video posted on social media, vowing to go "to the end". "The world will see the strength and determination of a society determined to live in freedom," she added.
Machado previously stated in an article in the "Wall Street Journal" that he was in hiding and feared "for his life" after the contested election of President Nicolás Maduro. "After this farce (the announcement of Maduro's election), spontaneous demonstrations broke out, especially in the poor neighborhoods of Caracas and other cities," Machado wrote. "Maduro responded with brutal repression. "State security forces have killed at least 20 Venezuelans, jailed more than 1,000 people and caused the disappearance of 11 people," she said.
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said last night that there was "irrefutable evidence" that Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia had won the presidential election against Nicolas Maduro, whose re-election sparked widespread protests.
"Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States, and especially to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in the July 28 presidential election," the secretary of state said in a statement.
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico called yesterday in a joint statement for an "impartial verification of the results" from the contested presidential elections in Venezuela.
"The basic principle of popular sovereignty must be respected through an impartial verification of the results", say the three countries, which are calling on Venezuelan electoral authorities to publish "quickly" the detailed results of the voting on July 28 by polling stations.