抗議続くベネズエラ、野党指導者がサプライズ登場

【カラカスＡＦＰ＝時事】南米ベネズエラで３日、野党指導者で、逮捕の恐れから潜伏していたマリア・コリナ・マチャド氏が支持者の前に姿を現し、「私たちはかつてないほど強くなった」と訴えかけた。７月２８日実施の大統領選でニコラス・マドゥロ大統領の再選が発表されたことへの抗議が続いており、マドゥロ氏は「大統領職を奪取する」試みだと非難した。（写真は、ベネズエラの首都カラカスで、大統領選の結果に抗議するデモに参加する野党指導者のマリア・コリナ・マチャド氏〈中央〉）
　ベネズエラ全土で平和的なデモが継続。マチャド氏は首都カラカスで「ベネズエラは勝利した！」と書かれた横断幕を掲げたトラックに乗って予告なしに登場し、支持者を沸かせた。
　マドゥロ氏は選挙後の抗議デモを受けて、マチャド氏を逮捕すると警告。マチャド氏はこの日まで身を隠していた。
　支持者らは、大統領選での野党連合候補の元外交官エドムンド・ゴンサレス氏の得票率は６７％だったと主張。一部の南米諸国や米国は、同氏を次期大統領として認定している。
　ベネズエラに投票結果の詳細を公表するよう求める声もあり、欧州連合（ＥＵ）加盟国のフランス、ドイツ、イタリア、スペインは３日、選挙結果に「強い懸念」を表明した。
　マドゥロ政権と良好な関係を維持しているブラジル、コロンビア、メキシコも、結果の「公平な検証」を求めている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/05-16:59）

Venezuela's opposition leader emerged from hiding on Saturday, declaring We have never been so strong, as President Nicolas Maduro slammed what he called attempts to usurp the presidency following last week's disputed election.
Thousands gathered peacefully across Venezuela, including in the capital Caracas where Maria Corina Machado thrilled supporters with a surprise appearance in a truck bearing a banner reading Venezuela has won!
Machado, who spent much of the week in hiding after Maduro threatened her with arrest following deadly post-election protests, had backed the candidacy of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia after she herself was banned from running.
Supporters say he won 67 percent of the July 28 vote, and several Latin American countries and the United States have recognized him as president-elect.
Others have called on Venezuela to release detailed vote tallies, including EU states France, Germany, Italy and Spain who on Saturday noted their strong concern over the results.
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico -- which have maintained good relations with Maduro's government -- urged an impartial verification of the result.
We have never been so strong as today, Machado told the crowd, adding the regime has never been weaker.
We are not going to leave the streets, she vowed, surrounded by security. Gonzalez Urrutia was not seen publicly Saturday.
Backers cried out Freedom! as Machado's truck passed by.
Adrian Pacheco, a 26-year-old shopkeeper, told AFP, Seeing her gives me hope, despite the threats. She is a light for Venezuela.
- 'Mother of all marches' -
Venezuela's CNE election authority, loyal to Maduro, on Friday proclaimed him the winner with 52 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Gonzalez Urrutia, a result that defied pre-election polls.
Thousands of Maduro supporters responded to his call for the mother of all marches Saturday afternoon, gathering in central Caracas to march to the presidential palace in the name of national peace.
We will not accept the opposition's claims of victory and moves to usurp the presidency of the republic again, Maduro declared at the rally.
After Venezuela's last election, in 2018, Maduro was proclaimed winner amid widespread accusations of fraud. Eventually the United States and dozens of other countries recognized the then-speaker of parliament, Juan Guaido, as Venezuela's acting president.
But Guaido failed to remove Maduro from office as many had hoped he would, and the once wildly popular young politician has largely faded from public life.
We are at the beginning of a new era, the era of the consolidation of the revolution, the era of well-being, 69-year-old professor Ali Garcia said at the rally.
Maduro, 61, has slammed the international criticism, describing allegations of vote fraud as a trap orchestrated by Washington to justify a coup.
The opposition has launched a website with copies of 84 percent of ballots cast, showing an easy win for Gonzalez Urrutia. The government claims these are forged.
Maduro has led the oil-rich, cash-poor country since 2013, presiding over a GDP drop of 80 percent that pushed more than seven million of once-wealthy Venezuela's 30 million citizens to emigrate.
Experts blame economic mismanagement and US sanctions for the collapse.
Maduro has maintained power thanks to loyalty from the military leadership, electoral bodies, courts and other state institutions, as well as the backing of Russia, China and Cuba.
- Security -
Maduro on Saturday also said military and police patrols would continue throughout the country to protect the people.
Rights groups reported 11 dead in protests Monday and Tuesday as angry Venezuelans took to the streets.
Maduro said two officers were killed, and 2,000 people detained. He has said his administration was preparing two maximum security prisons to hold protest-related inmates.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Friday with Machado and Gonzalez Urrutia, expressing his concern for their safety and well-being and congratulating Gonzalez Urrutia for receiving the most votes, the State Department said.
Venezuela emigres in cities across the Americas also rallied Saturday against Maduro and his claims of victory.
We don't want violence, we just want him to leave, we only want peace, 43-year-old Maudie Lopez, a crafts worker, told AFP in Colombia's capital Bogota, where hundreds joined in song and prayer.
I want to return to my country.
Colombia is housing some three million of the seven million Venezuelans who have fled since Maduro came to power.
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