Maduro opponents take to the streets to revive protests against the election results in Venezuela

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro took to the streets on Wednesday to revive protests against him as he consolidates his grip on power following last month’s disputed election.

The demonstrations in the capital Caracas come exactly one month after the heated vote on July 28, in which Maduro was declared the winner despite strong indications that opposition candidate Edmundo González won by a margin of almost two-thirds of the vote, sparking international condemnation of the vote’s lack of transparency.

During the weeks of intermittent demonstrations, the opposition’s battle cry has been constant but so far ineffective. Opponents demand that election officials publish the results from all polling stations, which they say would expose Maduro’s attempts to rig the election.

“Election results nullify verdict” is how the opposition described the latest protest, referring to thousands of ballots it had collected and posted online that contradict a recent ruling by the loyalist Supreme Court that confirmed Maduro’s supposed victory.

Not to be outdone, Maduro’s supporters also planned rallies for Wednesday, vowing to “defend” Maduro’s victory against what they see as attempted insurrection across the South American country.

Amid the ongoing crisis, Maduro is relying heavily on the security forces to maintain his power. On Tuesday, he appointed a ruling party hardliner as interior minister with oversight of the police force. Diosdado Cabello has vowed he will show no mercy to government opponents.

Cabello’s appointment raised fears that the crackdown, which has already led to more than 2,000 arrests – of journalists, politicians and students – could be further escalated.

The wave of arrests was a major topic at a special session of the Organization of American States in Washington on Wednesday, where a report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on human rights violations was discussed.

“The Commission unequivocally condemns the practice of institutional violence in the electoral process in Venezuela,” Roberta Clarke, a Barbadian lawyer and member of the Commission, said at the meeting. “Democracy and the rule of law must be restored.”

The Commission called on the Venezuelan authorities to end all measures that “generate terror” among the population – including arbitrary detentions and the use of violence by non-state actors loyal to Maduro – and to respect the popular will of Venezuelans for democratic change.