LIMA (Reuters) – Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Tuesday that President Nicolas Maduro had “entrenched himself” with the nation’s top military leaders in order to stay in power after last month’s disputed election.
The electoral authority, the CNE, which the opposition says is loyal to Maduro, declared that he had won reelection in the July 28 vote, while the opposition argues it was won by its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.
The CNE has not released a detailed vote count and its website has been down since the early hours of July 29. The opposition has posted its ballot count online, which shows Gonzalez receiving double the number of votes as Maduro.
Machado, speaking at a virtual press conference with media from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru on Tuesday, called on Venezuelans at home and abroad to protest on Saturday to force Maduro to “respect” the election result.
“What Maduro has chosen to do is entrench himself with the top military command, that’s all he has left,” Machado said.
Venezuela’s military has long supported Maduro, in power since 2013, and there have been no public signs since the election that leaders of the armed forces are breaking from the government.
Machado is under criminal investigation for allegedly inciting police and military to civil disobedience after she published a letter calling for them to abandon Maduro.
Security forces have also launched a crackdown on people they say were perpetrators of violent crimes during post-election protests. They have made more than 2,400 arrests, which advocacy groups say has left people fearful to take to the streets.
“Maduro has incorrectly weighed his options,” Machado said. “Pressure needs to be put on him so he understands that the best option for him is to accept the terms of a negotiated transition.”
A power-sharing scheme between the ruling party and the opposition is not on the table, she said at the weekend in an interview with El Pais.
Western countries have generally condemned Maduro’s actions as fraud but are moving cautiously in their reaction, mindful of previous diplomatic failures.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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