Caracas, Venezuela - August 28, 2024

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have taken to the streets in an attempt to revive protests against him as he tightens his grip on power following last month’s disputed election.

The demonstration in the capital, Caracas, on Wednesday came one month after the fraught July 28 vote in which Maduro was declared the winner despite the protests of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and international condemnation that the vote lacked transparency.

Wednesday’s protest was smaller than previous demonstrations. Groups of Venezuelans also gathered in other Latin American capitals.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who along with Gonzalez went into hiding following the election, re-emerged to attend Wednesday’s rally, waving a Venezuelan flag and hugging small children from the back of a truck as supporters shouted “Freedom.”

Banned from running against Maduro, the conservative politician crisscrossed the nation for weeks to help elect Gonzalez, a previously little-known former diplomat.

Acknowledging the steep challenge of forcing Maduro from power, Machado said the movement she leads will be strategic about calling for additional demonstrations. But she said the international pressure on Maduro is unlikely to cease any time soon.

[Credit: Twitter/JoseDario94v]