25 dead in post-election unrest in Venezuela

Photo: Yuri Cortez Agence France-Presse A woman lights candles during a vigil organized by the opposition to demand the freedom of political prisoners arrested during a demonstration following the disputed re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, August 8, 2024.

Agence France-Presse

Posted at 2:46 p.m.

• Americas

Venezuela’s attorney general reported on Monday a death toll of 25 and 192 injured in the unrest that followed the contested proclamation of victory by Nicolas Maduro, who demanded that state services use an “iron fist” against the perpetrators of the violence.

“25 people were killed, including two members of the Bolivarian National Guard, in just 48 hours […] between July 29 and 30,” prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced at a meeting of the Council of Defense and State, also mentioning “192 injured by firearms, bladed weapons, various blunt objects and incendiary bombs.”

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The prosecutor notably accused the opposition, assuring that “all these deaths can be attributed to the criminal groups manipulated by the 'comanditos'”, the names given to the opposition militant groups.

“As head of state, head of government and president of Venezuela, I demand from all the powers of the State greater speed, greater efficiency and an iron fist in the face of crime, violence and hate crimes, an iron fist and severe justice,” declared Mr. Maduro during the meeting of the Council of Defense and State.

The opposition, which claims victory, has called for demonstrations on Saturday.

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Human rights NGOs reported a death toll of 24, while President Maduro announced the deaths of two members of the security forces, as well as the arrests of 2,200 people.

The spontaneous demonstrations that broke out the day after the presidential election were repressed by the security forces, who did not intervene on August 3 during an opposition rally in Caracas. Since then, the opposition has not called for a demonstration.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) ratified Mr. Maduro's victory on August 2 with 52% of the vote, without publishing the exact count and the minutes of the polling stations, claiming to have been the victim of computer hacking.

According to the opposition, which published the minutes obtained through its scrutineers — whose legitimacy is rejected by Mr. Maduro — Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate, won the election with 67% of the vote.

The opposition and many observers believe that the hacking put forward by the CNE is an invention of the government to avoid publishing the electoral documents.