Venezuela’s opposition leader asks for help from Colombia’s president and senate over election controversy

The opposition leader in Venezuela is asking other countries to step in and help, specifically requesting Colombia’s president to recognize Unitary Party candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the true presidential election winner. Gonzalez was the candidate of Machado’s political faction after she was banned from running for president. 

Machado’s plea was heard during a virtual meeting during a session of Colombia’s Senate, Reuters reported. She appealed to the country’s senators and Colombian President Gustavo Petro to apply international pressure in calling for Maduro to cede power in office and allow the July election’s allegedly rightful winner, Gonzalez, to assume Venezuela’s presidency. Of particular note is that Petro is considered to be a Maduro ally, according to reports.  

“To the Government of Colombia, especially President Petro: It is time for decisions,” Machado said during the virtual meeting. “Silence is no longer an option in the face of what is happening in Venezuela. The transition is inevitable, and with the participation of your government, as we have said, we are willing to move forward in a constructive negotiation that is based on respect for the popular sovereignty expressed by Venezuelans on July 28.”

Machado is in hiding for fear of persecution from the Maduro regime. She gave her virtual speech to Colombia’s Senate from a private, undisclosed location and has not been seen in public in over 60 days, according to reports. 

With waves of protesters and demonstrations objecting to the election results, Maduro’s regime cracked down on dissenters after the election. Calls for Venezuela’s government to provide proof of Maduro’s victory went unanswered. Meanwhile, Machado’s opposition party provided evidence of the tally sheets of over 80% of the results from the country’s voting machines, Reuters reported.

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Machado emphasized the proof she had of the voting results that showed Gonzalez as the winner in her speech. She asked for their help to aid in the transfer of power from Maduro to Gonzalez when Venezuela’s next presidential term begins in January, Reuters reported. She also mentioned the harsh and repressive tactics Maduro has used to silence the opposition and punish those who spoke out against the government’s repressive tactics after the election in July.

“To you, honorable senators, I ask you to be guarantors of our victory and to be the voice of those of us who today are facing the most atrocious and ruthless repression,” Machado said.