FACT CHECK: Maduro’s team tries discrediting Venezuelan protesters | VOA News

Voice of America
Voice of America
14,896
0
Published 2024-08-06
Election observers and global democratic powers continue to express concern over the disputed July 28 presidential election in Venezuela.

The government-aligned National Electoral Council, or NEC, certified the vote for President Nicolas Maduro, securing him a third six-year term in office.

On August 1, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was “overwhelming evidence” the opposition had won.

Blinken said the results released by the Maduro-controlled NEC “were deeply flawed, yielding an announced outcome that does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people.”

Independent exit polls conducted by domestic and international election monitors and opposition tallies show that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia of the Unitary Platform won by a comfortable margin. That prompted thousands of Venezuelans to take to the streets and protest the official results.

Maduro and his allies have floated unfounded conspiracy theories that foreign-backed hackers and power failures have kept them from releasing an official tally. They also doubled down on efforts to discredit the opposition, including by labelling it “extremist.”

The head of the Madura-controlled national assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, accused the opposition of leading a “fascist conspiracy” aimed at sparking a civil war.

Rodriguez called for the arrest of popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whom the Madura-controlled Supreme Court barred from running, and her stand-in Gonzalez.

In some instances, protesters had torn down Maduro campaign posters or destroyed statues of Maduro’s deceased predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab seized on the incidents to depict the protesters as violent extremists instrumental in a foreign plot to “exterminate Venezuelans.”

“There are no antigovernmental protests taking place, but rather pockets of violence with destabilizing purposes that seek to create conditions for foreign intervention by spreading chaos in the national territory,” Saab said on July 30, 2023.

That is false.

Thousands of dissatisfied voters took to the streets amid credible allegations of vote rigging that fixed Maduro’s win.

Initially peaceful, the protests have turned increasingly violent after a crackdown by security forces. #factcheck #voanews

www.voanews.com/a/maduro-s-team-tries-discrediting…

» Subscribe to VOA News: bit.ly/3KIPysi
» Watch more VOA News video: youtube.com/c/VOANews

Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people. VOA produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of approximately 3,000 affiliate stations.

Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press.

Connect with VOA News:

» VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.voanews.com/
» LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/voanews
» FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/voanews
» FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: twitter.com/VOANews
» FOLLOW US ON THREADS: www.threads.net/@voanews
#news #voanews
All Comments (21)