Venezuelan's political opposition and its supporters gathered in cities across the country last night to demand recognition the decisive victory of their candidate in the presidential elections nearly three weeks ago, reported Reuters.
The country's electoral body, considered by the opposition to be beholden to the ruling party, said President Nicolas Maduro had won his third term in the July 28 election with just under 52% of the vote.
However, the opposition, led by former MP María Corina Machado, published online 83% of the machine voting results, which it said showed that its candidate, Edmundo González, won strong support at 67%.
The challenge to the vote plunged the economically crippled country into political crisis, and a government crackdown on the protests led to at least 2,400 arrests. Clashes related to the protests also resulted in at least 23 deaths.
The international community has proposed a number of solutions to end the nearly three-week-old crisis, including new elections, but most of them have been flatly rejected by both the ruling party and the opposition.
In the capital Caracas, over five thousand people gathered in the eastern part of the city, along the main street. In Maracaibo, in the northwestern part of Venezuela, hundreds of people gathered.
Earlier in the day, fewer than a hundred protesters gathered in Maracaibo were quickly dispersed with tear gas. Hundreds of people demonstrated in Valencia, San Cristóbal and Barquisimeto, many waving Venezuelan flags, protest posters or copies of the voting records.
Meanwhile, however, in front of the Miraflores palace, after a rally in support of the government, Maduro promised 8% economic growth this year and spoke out against international critics and the opposition.
"We won the right to create whatever future we want in Venezuela, the way we want, and nobody can poke their nose in Venezuela," he told the crowd waving Venezuelan flags. "I am not going to give advice to anyone in the world on what to do with this or that country... the door will be slammed for anyone who sticks their nose in Venezuela,", added Maduro.
The opposition continues to push for recognition of its victory, but its options are narrowing as international attention turns to other countries, opposition sources and analysts told Reuters.
Many Western countries called for full publication of the results, while Russia, China and other countries congratulated Maduro on his victory.
Latin American leaders will discuss the crisis this weekend, when many of them will be in the Dominican Republic to attend the inauguration of that country's new president, Panama's president said.