One day after the elections in Venezuela, which declared Nicolás Maduro as the winner, opposition leader María Corina Machado spoke at a press conference, asserting that they have evidence showing that Edmundo González was the true victorious candidate. "We already have the means to prove the truth of what happened at the polls. The margin was overwhelming; we won in every state," Machado stated during the press conference alongside her candidate, Edmundo González.
"The regime slept very worried, and we did not sleep because we were busy collecting evidence. (...) I want to tell you that we currently have 73.3% of the tally sheets, and with this result, our elected president is Edmundo González Urrutia," declared María Corina Machado from the Comando Con Venezuela, the political headquarters of the opposition coalition.
The opposition leader pointed out that with this result, Nicolás Maduro would have no way of catching up to the opposition leader. "Even if the CNE (National Electoral Council) gives him 100% of the remaining votes," she noted.
The political leaders assured that all the recovered tally sheets are available on a website, and anyone with a Venezuelan document can access the site to verify the authenticity of their claims. The portal will be enabled on the night of this Monday.
Valuing the spontaneous protests that have emerged in response to the apparent fraud, María Corina Machado called for a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, July 30th, at 11:00 AM (Venezuela time).
For his part, Edmundo González stated, "I speak to you with the calm of truth. We have in our hands the tally sheets that prove our mathematical and irreversible victory. Our triumph is historic; we won in places where democratic forces had never won in the last 25 years."
"Our triumph is historic; we won where democratic forces had never won in the last 25 years. We will fight for our freedom. I understand the indignation, but the response is calm and firmness," González Urrutia emphasized.
The opposition's count resulted in 2,759,256 votes for Nicolás Maduro versus 6,275,182 votes for the candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.
Key Questions About Venezuela's Contested Election
Given the current situation in Venezuela and the contested election results, here are some frequently asked questions and answers that can help clarify the situation.
What evidence does María Corina Machado claim to have?
María Corina Machado claims to possess 73.3% of the tally sheets, which she asserts demonstrate that Edmundo González won the election with a significant margin over Nicolás Maduro.
How can Venezuelans verify the election results claimed by the opposition?
The opposition leaders have made the tally sheets available on a dedicated website, which can be accessed by anyone with a Venezuelan document to verify the authenticity of their claims.
What is the opposition's next step?
The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, has called for a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, July 30th, at 11:00 AM (Venezuela time) to protest the alleged election fraud.