At least one person has been killed in the protests following the presidential election in Venezuela. The opposition party claims they have evidence that they received 73 percent of the votes in the election.
– In our hands, we have the tally sheets that show our victory, said opposition leader Edmundo González in front of a large crowd in Caracas on Monday evening local time.
The opposition disputes the official election results which show that incumbent President Nicolás Maduro won.
– The will that was expressed yesterday through their votes will be respected, González said.
In contradiction to exit polls
Several thousand have gathered in the capital’s streets to express their mistrust of the election results. The demonstration is mostly peaceful, but the police have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, and some have thrown stones at the police.
On Tuesday, a non-governmental organization reported that at least one person died after security forces attempted to break up the protests.
The election authorities claimed on Monday that Maduro won the election with 51.2 percent of the votes, contradicting exit polls that indicated opposition candidate Edmundo González had won.
An advisor to the opposition reported that the police are attempting to enter the Argentine embassy. He is inside the building along with five others for whom arrest warrants have been issued.
Neighboring countries demand transparency
Several Latin American countries jointly demanded on Monday that Venezuela conduct an independent review of the election results. Venezuela responded by recalling diplomats from seven countries, and the foreign ministry urged them not to interfere.
President Maduro’s response to international criticism is that the opposition is attempting a coup d’état that is fascist and anti-revolutionary.
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