Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado emerged from hiding on Thursday, joining protests in Caracas to challenge President Nicolás Maduro as demonstrators made a final push to block him from remaining in power.
“They wanted us to fight each other, but Venezuela is united,” Machado declared from atop a truck, waving the Venezuelan flag to a cheering crowd of a few hundred protesters. Chanting “We are not afraid!” the demonstrators sang the national anthem in a show of defiance.
The protests came on the eve of the ruling party-controlled National Assembly’s scheduled inauguration of Maduro for a third six-year term. Turnout for Thursday’s demonstrations was modest, with riot police and pro-government armed groups, known as “colectivos,” deployed across the capital.
Protesters blocked a main avenue, with many wearing the red, yellow, and blue of the Venezuelan flag, answering Machado’s call to display national pride. They rejected Maduro’s presidency and voiced support for Edmundo González, Machado’s replacement on the ballot, as the legitimate president.
González, who fled to Spain in September, has been traveling throughout the Americas this week, meeting with leaders to rally support. In the Dominican Republic, he vowed to continue fighting for Venezuela, though he stopped short of committing to return on January 10 to claim office, saying only that he would return “very soon.”
The United States and several other governments have recognized González as Venezuela’s rightful president. Even some of Maduro’s former leftist allies in Latin America plan to boycott his swearing-in ceremony.
Biden hosted González at the White House earlier this week, praising the opposition leader for his perseverance and courage.
“The people of Venezuela deserve a peaceful transfer of power to the true winner of their presidential election,” Biden said, adding that the U.S. would continue to support efforts to “restore democracy in the country.”
