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Far-right opposition politician María Corina Machado (left) using her phone during the unsuccessful opposition demonstration organized in Caracas on August 3, 2024; and former far-right deputy Juan Guaidó (right) using his phone during the failed coup d'etat he lead on April 31, 2020 in Caracas. Photo composition: Orinoco Tribune.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, highlighted the low turnout at the rally that the extreme right led by María Corina Machado organized this Saturday in Las Mercedes neighborhood, east of Caracas.
On Saturday, August 3, a demonstration called by extreme-right politician María Corina Machado, who claims that her subrogate candidate Edmundo González won the July 28 presidential elections with almost 9 million votes, was held in the affluent neighborhood of Las Mercedes.
According to several drone footage, the turnout in the opposition demonstration does not correspond to the level of votes Machado claims. Nor does it correspond to the level of rage that she claims most Venezuelans are feeling about the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) proclamation of President Maduro as the winner with more than 6 million votes.
Sharing a video of the opposition demonstration, VP Delcy Rodríguez wrote on social media, “This image is for the world: the moment of highest turnout when the leader of the rioters and violent protests spoke. Enough of the crude media manipulation and maneuvers of Washington’s satellite governments. Venezuela should be respected.”
Do you think this is a “massive” demonstration of support for someone claiming victory with almost 10 million votes? https://t.co/NJSNDjVEuk
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) August 3, 2024
Earlier, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil posted on social media another aerial footage of the opposition demonstration in east Caracas. There were no restrictions against the organization of that demonstration. Nevertheless, according to the video footage, there was a very low turnout at the moment of Machado’s speech. “This is an areal video during the moment the head of the rioters were giving a speech at Las Mercedes, Caracas, August 3, 2024,” wrote Minister Gil.
This is the “massive” support that Maria Corina has. There are more people in Miami supporting her than in Caracas. https://t.co/gv19Q4Vgo3
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) August 3, 2024
Another video shared on X by journalist Carmen Parejo also shows a low turnout when Machado was arriving at the place designated for her speech.
Another perspective of the "massive" support of Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez.
Chavismo will prevail! https://t.co/F3252hSNw4— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) August 3, 2024
In the early evening of Saturday, Orinoco Tribune posted on social media a photo of former deputy Juan Guaidó after his April 31, 2020 failed coup d’etat, next to a photo of Machado using her phone during the unsuccessful opposition demonstration organized in Las Mercedes this Saturday. The post was to illustrate the recurrent failure of the Venezuelan far right in its attempt to destroy the Bolivarian Revolution following Washington dictates.
In the best video of the opposition demonstration posted by Machado herself on social media, the low turnout can be seen clearly despite enormous efforts of the camera people to avoid showing it. Nevertheless, mainstream media will portray this demonstration as “another evidence” of the overwhelming “popular support” of the “new leader” of the Venezuelan opposition.
Many analysts wondered why Machado showed up openly in an anti-Chavista demonstration after having claimed a few hours earlier in an op-ed published by The Washington Post that she was fearing for her life and therefore had gone underground.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
