By Alfredo Di Cesare
04 Aug 2024, 12:35 PM EDT
Venezuela is experiencing a social and political crisis caused by the election results of July 28. In the midst of this situation, former Spanish footballer Fernando Torres sent a message to the inhabitants of the Caribbean nation.
“Hello to all my Venezuelan friends. Hello Venezuela. I wanted to send this greeting from Spain. I hope you are all doing well, that you are doing great and that you are safe in this difficult time that we are going through. And that is all, friends. I look forward to visiting you and getting to know a wonderful country. I send you all a big hug,” he said.
Fernando Torres made his debut in 2001 at Atlético de Madrid, where he initially played for six seasons until being signed by Liverpool in 2007. After four seasons, he moved to Chelsea and then three years later he left for AC Milan for a few months.
In 2015 he returned to Atlético de Madrid and was under the orders of Diego Pablo Simeone until 2018. After a brief stint in China in 2019 he retired from football and is now the coach of the Colchoneros’ Under-19s.
As a player, he achieved glory at club level, winning the Champions League and Europa League. With the national team, he is one of its top scorers and has two European Championships and a World Cup to his name.
What’s happening in Venezuela?
On July 29, a wave of protests broke out across Venezuela in rejection of the results of the presidential election that the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced, declaring Nicolás Maduro re-elected.
The announcement came amidst irregularities and questionable figures that have not yet been published according to current regulations in Venezuela. The opposition has already revealed evidence proving its victory over Nicolás Maduro with more than six million votes.
Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to demand that the true election result be recognised. However, armed groups from the government, military and police have begun to repress the protests by firing guns.
To date, more than 20 people have been killed and more than 1,000 citizens arrested, according to figures from the Chavista authorities. The escalation of repression has been such that the Maduro administration has already promised to build two prisons for opponents.
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