By Luis De Jesus
Aug 18, 2024, 7:34 PM EDT
Edmundo González Urrutia, the possible president-elect of Venezuela, said on Sunday that violence and hate speech will not stop a peaceful transition in his country.
He said this after authorities reported the arrest of more than 2,400 people and the death of 25 during recent protests against the results of the presidential elections, in which Nicolás Maduro supposedly won re-election.
González Urrutia stressed on social media X that despite threats and repression, Venezuelan citizens continue to demand respect for their electoral decision.
Despite threats and repression, Venezuelans demand respect for their will. Brute force and hate speech will not stop our resolve to begin a peaceful transition.
To all the Venezuelans who have mobilized in every neighborhood, village and city raising… pic.twitter.com/DU0tucrV4o
— Edmundo González (@EdmundoGU) August 18, 2024
The opposition leader also highlighted the mobilization of citizens this Saturday in defense of what he considers a victory in the presidential elections.
According to Edmundo González Urrutia, the largest opposition coalition obtained 83.5% of the electoral records that, he claims, prove the victory. The regime, however, has described these documents as false.
González Urrutia extended a message of encouragement to Venezuelans who have demonstrated in neighborhoods and cities and emphasized that only unity will allow the will of more than 7 million voters expressed on July 28 to be respected.
The opposition leader criticized the Maduro regime for not preparing for a peaceful transition and instead opting for the persecution and repression of citizens who only seek to have the majority decision respected.
24 hours later, the minutes were available on the web.
The next day, we published the results table by table.
And because the truth is public and belongs to everyone, we release the data so that the entire world can verify it at https://t.co/EfvWk12CZF— Maria Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) August 18, 2024
In response, Nicolás Maduro accused González Urrutia of being responsible for the deaths during the protests and of fomenting violence and the destruction of public property and schools in the country.
Likewise, María Corina Machado highlighted this Sunday the importance of the global demonstration on Saturday in defense of the electoral result that favors Edmundo González Urrutia.
According to Machado, this event represents a “fundamental milestone” and a “great victory” in the fight against the official result of the recent presidential elections.
In a message posted on the X platform, he said the demonstration demonstrated the unity of the Venezuelan nation and stressed the importance of the cause for freedom, which has gained worldwide recognition.
“There is no distance or time that can separate us. Venezuela’s freedom is a global cause,” he said.
The opposition leader also thanked the international community for its support and stressed that citizens in more than 350 cities on five continents joined in demanding respect for González Urrutia’s victory, the release of political prisoners and the publication of the electoral records.
“We have reached a new goal in our strategy. New stages and victories are yet to come,” added Machado.
Twenty days before the elections, the National Electoral Council has still not published the disaggregated results or the electoral minutes, in violation of current regulations.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition published 83.5% of the electoral documents online, which it claims corroborate González Urrutia’s victory. These documents have received validation from various countries and organizations, including the UN panel of electoral experts and the Carter Center.
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