Tens of thousands of Venezuelans rallied in the country’s capital Caracas, as well as in other cities across the country and abroad, on Saturday to support or oppose the declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the elected president in Venezuela’s disputed presidential election held on July 28, 2024. Both Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González claimed victory in the election.

Marches supporting Maduro occurred in cities nationwide. Maduro participated in the demonstration in Caracas, asserting that the opposition had been defeated three times that day. Supporters of González also took to the streets in various cities, with the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, attending a rally in Caracas. Similar protests were held in Spain, Australia, Chile, and other countries worldwide. The Venezuelan opposition also accused the Maduro government of stealing the truck used by Machado and González for events and mobilizations after the rally in Caracas.

The Organization of American States called on Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to expeditiously publish the receipts with voting results of the presidential elections at the level of each polling station. Chile, Spain, the Netherlands, and other nations issued a joint declaration on the situation in Venezuela, emphasizing the need to uphold democratic values, human rights, and fundamental freedoms for all Venezuelans, particularly the rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. The declaration also demanded the immediate publication of all original electoral records and an independent verification of the results.