Protest actions by Venezuelan opposition supporters have begun to denounce alleged electoral fraud during Sunday’s presidential vote, using street demonstrations, clattering pots, and road blockades in various parts of the country. The percussion protests were audible in neighborhoods across Caracas, including Petare, Altamira, Chacaíto, Bellas Artes, La Vega, El Valle, Catia, and La Candelaria, according to videos circulated on social networks whose authenticity could not be independently verified.
There have also been spontaneous gatherings and marches, such as the event on the Petare-Guarenas highway, specifically in the Caucagüita parish of the Sucre municipality in Miranda state. On the Caracas-La Guaira highway, rows of tires were set ablaze, as reported by the opposition party Voluntad Popular: “The Bolivarian National Guard refuses to suppress a people calling for their will to be respected.” Activists in other cities, including Maracay, have shared similar scenes on social media.
Meanwhile, President Nicolas Maduro claimed on Monday that an attempted coup of fascist character is underway, given the questions raised about his re-election announced by the electoral body. He argued that the opposition and most of the international community reject the outcome, stating at the proclamation ceremony as re-elected president at the National Electoral Council in Caracas that there is an effort to impose a coup again, described as fascist and counterrevolutionary.
He described the events as “the same film” with a similar script where the protagonists are “the people seeking peace” on one side and “elite factions tied to a contrarrevolutionary, fascist project aligned with imperial power” on the other. He warned that the early steps show failures in an attempt to destabilize the country and to reimpose a climate of aggression and damage, alluding to a supposed sequel featuring a figure akin to Juan Guaidó during the period when he proclaimed himself interim president.
Minutes after these remarks, nine nations—Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic—called for an urgent OAS meeting to address Venezuela’s electoral results. Other governments have also expressed concern about the opposition’s fraud allegations while urging authorities to guarantee transparency and permit a detailed vote count so the process can be trusted by the international community. [Citation: National and international observers and regional blocs have urged clarity on electoral procedures and independent verification.]