Opposition supporters have gathered across Venezuela to protest against Nicolás Maduro's disputed victory in last month's presidential election. Opposition leader María Corina Machado joined thousands of protesters in the capital, Caracas, and urged them not to be afraid.

Ms Machado, who had been in hiding after being accused of insurrection, said there was nothing above the voice of the people, and that the people had spoken. Police and the army were deployed in force as supporters of Mr Maduro also held a demonstration.

“We won’t leave the streets,” Ms Machado told protesters, with many of them waving copies of election records from their voting stations as proof of victory. Ms Machado, who was banned from running in the election, had called for nationwide protests to intensify pressure on Mr Maduro to concede.

Some demonstrators seemed determined to carry on. “This is a criminal government that wants to hold on to power. I smell freedom, I have nothing to fear,” said Adriana Calzadilla, quoted by AFP news agency.

“I hope for Maduro to recognise his defeat and hand over the power peacefully,” medical student José Berbin told Reuters. “What I think will happen is that the dictatorship will get harder, we all need to unite against the dictatorship and show that good people are more.”

Mr Maduro has insisted he won a third six-year term, but the opposition released tallies it said showed its candidate, Edmundo González, winning by a wide margin. Speaking from an unidentified location, Mr González said it was time for an “orderly transition.”

At his rival rally, Mr Maduro mocked Mr González, saying he was “living in a cave.” The electoral commission, controlled by allies of Mr Maduro, has refused to release detailed results, but declared he won with 52% of the vote. Independent observers said it lacked transparency.

Repression and International Condemnation

Since the election, anti-government protests have flared up and hundreds of people have been arrested by the security forces, which remain loyal to President Maduro. According to the Venezuelan government, more than 2,400 people have been detained since 29 July, the day the disputed election result was announced.

The UN denounced the fact that street protests and criticism on social media have been met with “fierce repression” by the state. Similar demonstrations have been held in cities around the world, from Australia to Spain and also in the United Kingdom, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina. The European Union, the United States and a number of Latin American nations have refused to recognise the result.

International Support for the Opposition

The opposition has been dealt a blow Thursday when Brazil and Colombia, countries that had been pressuring Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory, began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead. But Machado categorically rejected any plan to redo the election, and she said that it would be “an insult” to the people.

The opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when Brazil and Colombia — countries that had been pressuring Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory — began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead. But Machado categorically rejected any plan to redo the election, and she said that it would be “an insult” to the people. The opposition has consistently expressed the need for the international community’s help to get Maduro to accept the unfavorable results of the election.

A Call for Unity and Action

The opposition calls for people ‘to remain united’ as a day of protests called to denounce Nicolas Maduro’s election victory. Opposition protesters are taking to the streets of Venezuela’s capital once more to denounce the results of a recent election that saw President Nicolas Maduro secure another term in power. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged her supporters “to remain firm and united” in a social media post on Saturday, shortly after she called for people to demonstrate in hundreds of cities across the country and abroad.

“We won’t leave the streets,” Machado told the crowd in Caracas, where hundreds of demonstrators waved the national flag and printed copies of election records that the opposition says is proof of its election victory. “With intelligence, prudence, resilience, boldness … peaceful protest is our right,” she said.

The South American nation has seen weeks of unrest following the July 28 election, which opposition leaders said was marred by fraud. The National Electoral Council (CNE) formally declared Maduro the vote winner, saying in early August that he had secured 52 percent support compared with 43 percent for main opposition challenger Edmundo Gonzalez.

However, The opposition has said its tally of the votes showed Gonzalez had defeated the incumbent, spurring international calls for Maduro’s government to release the full breakdown of votes. At least 25 people have been killed in post-election protests so far, with nearly 200 injured and more than 2,400 arrested — and the continued crisis has fuelled fears the Venezuelan authorities could launch a wider crackdown on opposition leaders and protesters.

A Divided World

The United States is paying for flights taking US-bound migrants back to South America. Maduro, who came to power in 2013 following the death of his mentor and predecessor Hugo Chavez, has presided over an economic collapse that has pushed millions of people to leave Venezuela over the past years. In the aftermath of July’s election, he accused his political opponents of trying to carry out a “coup d’etat”, and he has called for the arrests of Machado and Gonzalez.

“Maduro says there is a plan by the opposition to get him out of office,” Al Jazeera’s Bo reported, noting that the Venezuelan leader has accused the United States of being involved, as well. Maduro’s government also urged its supporters to take to the streets later on Saturday as the embattled president continues to strike a defiant tone. But Maduro continues to face both domestic and international pressure to provide a full accounting of the vote.

Last week, Colombia and Brazil called for new elections in Venezuela, but Machado — the opposition leader — said this would show “a lack of respect” for the popular will already expressed on July 28. On Friday, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, traditionally a left-wing ally of Maduro, took a harsh tone, describing the regime in Caracas as “very unpleasant” as he insisted it release a detailed vote breakdown.

A Future in Uncertain Times

“I came today to support Maria Corina and Edmundo to be able to have a future in this country and have a family,” Jesus Aguilar, a 21-year-old theology student, said at the rally in Caracas. “We know that with this government there are no possibilities for growth, I’ve even seen myself trying to leave the country.” The opposition has called on its supporters to remain steadfast in the face of the government’s continued efforts to suppress dissent.

The future of Venezuela remains uncertain, but the ongoing protests highlight the deep divisions that persist within the country. As the opposition continues to demand a fair election, it remains to be seen whether the Maduro government will be willing to concede power or whether the country will continue to descend further into chaos.