By Vivian Sequera
CARACAS (Reuters) – Peaceful street protests and international pressure still have the potential to unseat Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Tuesday, as an election dispute reaches the one-month mark and the opposition’s pathways to claim power seemingly narrow.
The disagreement over the July 28 contest has sparked international cries for the release of full vote tallies, deadly protests and moves by the country’s prosecutor to investigate the opposition and arrest journalists.
Machado said in an interview with Reuters that the opposition has a “robust strategy” to claim victory. She would give no details but added that she and former opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez are united.
“It is the coordination between internal and external forces which will achieve change,” Machado, who has appeared at marches but otherwise been in hiding since the vote, said via video call. “What does Maduro have left today? A very reduced group of high-ranking soldiers, the control of magistrates from the (top court) and arms…he is sowing fear.”
Venezuela’s national electoral authority and its top court named Maduro the election’s victor, saying he won just over half of votes in the July 28 contest.
But tallies from about 80% of ballot boxes posted on an opposition website show a resounding victory for Gonzalez, giving him 67% support.
(Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb)
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