Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pack Ave. Bolivar in Caracas during the closing rally of his presidential campaign aiming at the elections, July 28. Photo: X/@ConelMazoDando.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On the last day of Venezuela’s presidential campaign and just three days before the presidential elections, scheduled for this Sunday, incumbent candidate and current president, Nicolás Maduro, brought his campaign to an end with a massive rally that overwhelmingly surpassed the capacity of Ave. Bolivar in Caracas, the largest venue for such political demonstrations in the capital of Venezuela.
With their characteristic joy, a crowd of Chavistas from Caracas and other regions of Venezuela began to gather this Thursday, July 25, at different gathering points established for the takeover of Caracas, all aiming at Ave. Bolivar as the final destination.
While reflecting on his tours across the range and depths of Venezuela in search of the truth of a people “to learn more about everything that our people have done to defeat the most criminal aggression that has been done to us in history,” the president noted how the Chavista movement belongs to the people. “We have done it again in Caracas, once again in our streets, from end to end, across the avenues and highways of the capital of the republic.”
Anti-Chavistas spent all Thursday complaining about buses bringing Chavistas and trying to claim that they were being paid or being forced to participate in the rally, which renowned journalist Luigino Bracci refuted clearly in a video he posted on social media showing Chavistas dancing happily up and down the rally, as many other such video and photographic records of the day show.
Algunas postales del cierre de campaña de @NicolasMaduro pic.twitter.com/Mk9uRRbjth
— Leonel Retamal Muñoz (@LeonelTeleSUR) July 26, 2024
“We have resisted because we love our country,” President Maduro said, referring to the strength of the movement despite all the actors targeting the sovereign power of Venezuela, while adding that the people are ready for the great victory on July 28. “The extremist right will not return,” was one of the slogans notably present at the closing ceremony.
“I have been to more than 300 towns, traveling around the country,” the president explained regarding his tour. “We have resisted all aggression targeted at us because we love our country and because we have faith in what is ours, despite having faced the worst aggression in our history.”
Hundreds of thousands of Chavistas packed the city: from downtown Caracas locations such as Plaza Candelaria, on Urdaneta Avenue; Parque Carabobo, on Mexico Avenue; the corner of Corazón de Jesús on Universidad Avenue; as well as two points on Lecuna Avenue, Parque Central and Bomberos, and the overpass on Fuerza Armadas Avenue.
The meeting points were coordinated from the east of the city at the Chacao Metro station and the Europa Tower, as well as in La Previsora, Plaza Venezuela, the Paseo de la Resistencia Indígena, and Los Caobos Park. Each of these points were full of people supporting Nicolás Maduro’s candidacy, who joined the rally himself in the afternoon after leading another closing rally in the city of Maracaibo, Zulia state.
Massive demonstration in support to Nicolas Maduro just a few minutes ago in Av. Bolivar, Caracas. Look at the adjacent streets also packed with people. https://t.co/Q1ZX3tRrlm
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) July 25, 2024
Meanwhile, the far-right opposition candidate, Edmundo González, from the Unitary Platform (PUD) and its leader, María Corina Machado, mobilized their supporters in the affluent East Caracas neighborhood of Las Mercedes, in a much smaller venue with a much lesser attendance, which witnesses stated was less impressive than the Chavismo demonstration.
According to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Chavista forces also mobilized a motorized caravan of over 20,000 motorcycles from Petare to tour the city towards Ave. Bolívar in support of President Nicolás Maduro.
During his campaign closing speech, President Maduro called on all sectors of the country that have suffered sanctions, stating that “only a Bolivarian and Chavista president, only this man who is here, who is not an individual but a people, guarantees the peace and stability of this country called Venezuela.” He acknowledged that what is needed is to unite all Venezuelans for peace, independence, stability, true democracy, love, harmony, and inclusion.
The candidate highlighted various achievements of his government administration, including but not limited to the stabilization of the national currency of Venezuela, the bolivar, as well as bolstered national production and real economic growth, the creation of a robust exchange system, and the defeat of hyperinflation, amongst other economic achievements.
“We defeated the sanctions and the blockade, and we are moving forward, towards economic prosperity, but for that we need peace and stability,” President Maduro said, recognizing and promoting the role of the Venezuelan working class.
Later, he greeted the international electoral observers and guests who have arrived to participate in the elections and share with Venezuela in their great popular victory of July 28.
The president continued by talking about his religious and political views, stating that he is “a man raised in Christianity, by my mother, Teresa de Jesús Moros Acevedo, and since I was a child, my father raised me in the idea of socialism, of the progressive left. I had a great teacher and another father in life, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, who raised me in Bolivarianism. I have Christian, socialist, and Bolivarian roots, those are my values, strengths, and thoughts, and that’s how it is for all of us.”
“They attacked me when Chávez named me foreign minister,” he recalled, “the bus driver chancellor [they called me]. I have no ego, I have no attachment to anything, I have not been and am not a puppet of anyone. I am a totally independent president; I come from the people. I know how to work in a team and for the collective good.”
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“First I listen to and look at the people before taking a step. I do not owe favors to anyone nor do I fear anyone: and that makes me free. After making this Venezuela great and taking it on the path of 21st century socialism. I am loyal to the people even beyond this life,” the PSUV candidate said.
The president added that he will call “all Venezuelan society, without foreign interference, I do not want anyone to interfere with Venezuela, to an inclusive national dialogue,” noting “that there will be peace before, during and after July 28, I guarantee it.”
“Do you want Venezuela to become a gringo colony? Do you want Venezuela to become Milei’s Argentina? With the extreme fascist right we don’t go anywhere, we are ready and if we have overcome all the difficulties, on the 28th with the resounding victory we are going to have we will get rid of the extreme fascist right for 100 years, they will end on the 28th,” he added.
He also confirmed that on July 29th he will call for a great national, economic, cultural, social and political dialogue with all sectors of the Venezuelan society to advance faster towards economic growth and political harmony.
Photo gallery:
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
