Death toll and arrests in Venezuela after election results were announced

• Penal Forum reports deaths and arrests.
• Protests in Venezuela after elections.
• Maduro challenges the opposition.

Foro Penal has reported an alarming number of 132 arrests and six deaths in Venezuela following the controversial presidential elections.

The report highlights the escalation of violence and repression in the country, generated by the electoral results questioned by the international community and the Venezuelan opposition.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has defended his election victory from the presidential palace, challenging opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to confront him directly.

«Come and get me,» Maduro said from the balcony of the Miraflores palace, amid a gathering of supporters, according to AP.

PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN VENEZUELA

The statement came after two days of intense protests in Venezuela and growing questions about the transparency of the electoral process.

Maria Corina Machado, in an act of defiance, addressed thousands of supporters in eastern Caracas, demanding that the National Electoral Council (CNE) publish the voting records.

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Machado insists that Edmundo González, the opposition candidate, obtained the majority of votes, contradicting the announced results that favor Maduro.

The lack of transparency has fueled mistrust and anger among citizens, resulting in clashes and demonstrations in several cities across the country.

On the other hand, the presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition coalition, Edmundo González Urrutia, called on the police forces and the Armed Forces of Venezuela.

He asked to respect «the popular will.»

He also declared: «You know what happened on Sunday, fulfill your oath,» in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.

«The Constitution is above all. Venezuelans want peace and respect for the popular will. The truth is the path to peace,» he declared.

MADURO BREAKS THE SILENCE

Maduro, seeking to reassert his control, has promised to keep police and military forces mobilized to control the protests.

His speech from the presidential palace underlined his determination not to give in to internal and external pressures questioning his re-election for a third six-year term.

However, violence and repression have left a tragic toll of victims, increasing tension and uncertainty in the country.

Foro Penal is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the defense of human rights with more than 6,000 volunteers and a network of lawyers who provide pro bono services.

The organization that announced the deaths was born in response to state repression against citizens considered dissidents, according to its website.

The situation in Venezuela remains critical with the international community closely watching developments.

Allegations of electoral manipulation, coupled with the government’s violent response, have placed the country at a crossroads.

The opposition continues to fight for transparency, while the Maduro regime remains firm in its position.

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