Politics
Thousands of people took to the streets in various Venezuelan cities to demand free elections and other political reforms. It was the opposition’s first nationwide protest in nearly two years.
Thousands of people took to the streets in various Venezuelan cities to demand free elections and other political reforms. It was the opposition’s first nationwide protest in nearly two years. U.S. President Donald Trump and Acting President Delcy Rodríguez have announced plans to hold elections, but no date has yet been set for voting to elect a new president to replace former President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was captured during a U.S. military operation in January.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has said that elections should be held by July 2027. She is currently outside the country after spending nearly a year in hiding following the disputed 2024 presidential election. Machado’s political movement, Vente Venezuela, organized demonstrations in several cities, including the capital, Caracas, as well as Valencia, Maracay, San Cristóbal and Maracaibo.
Eighteen-year-old cosmetology student Luismari Hernández, who joined hundreds of protesters in northern Maracay, said, “It makes me happy to see all this because I believe change is possible.” She said she had faced difficult circumstances because of several problems, including the rising value of the U.S. dollar and difficulties pursuing her education. However, she said she remained hopeful about her country and its future leader and president, María Corina Machado. Hernández added, “I have taken to the streets to protest before, when conditions were much more difficult. Today, I want to raise my voice, and I feel even less afraid than before.”
Since January 3, Delcy Rodríguez of the long-ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has been governing the country as interim president. The PSUV leadership has faced allegations of human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, imprisonment and torture of political opponents. Even after the U.S. military operation to capture and detain former President Nicolás Maduro, the PSUV remained in power with support from the White House.
Venezuela’s socialist movement has been in power since 1999, first under the late President Hugo Chávez and later under Maduro. In the past, the government deployed security forces against protesters, but their presence at Thursday’s demonstrations was limited. Meanwhile, France has deployed 70,000 police officers nationwide to prevent potential unrest and looting during protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services. The military is also patrolling key locations in Paris.
According to Reuters, authorities have introduced stringent security measures to protect shops, government buildings and security personnel against possible attacks. Several shops in Paris have closed, while major cultural attractions, including the Louvre Museum, the Musée d’Orsay and the opera house, are also shut. More than 20 metro stations have suspended services. Authorities have imposed bans or strict restrictions on demonstrations in several cities amid fears of unrest. Last week, protests were accompanied by widespread vandalism and looting.
