Right now, the Latin American political drama is defined by what happens in Venezuela, an oil-rich nation immersed in a complex and sometimes even confusing political crisis, in which the Attorney General issues official statements diagnosing—like an experienced doctor—that a top opposition leader suffers from Borderline personality disorder. This Thursday, on the eve of the beginning of a new—and once again controversial—term of office of Nicolás Maduro, both poles of the undermined Venezuelan political field gathered in the streets to measure forces, based on an original call from María Corina Machado, the main opposition leader. Four months had passed since the former deputy had been seen in the streets, as the Public Prosecutor's Office accused her of Treason, Conspiracy with foreign countries, and Association to commit a crime.
Machado had promised to meet with the opposition electorate in a new day of protest against the fraud that, they denounce, was committed by Chavismo in the elections of last July 28. Guarded by security forces and government-aligned militias, the Venezuelans most fed up with chavismo-madurismo—and less fearful of its iron fist—concentrated in the capital's Chacao area. True to her commitment, Machado showed up and harangued the masses. “They wanted to confront us [but] Venezuela united today and we are not afraid... Listen well: this is over!”, she said from the top of a truck, while Chavista activists turned up the volume of the music on a stage located near the opposition mobilization, according to AP journalists. What happened when Machado left the rally fell into the realm of doubt and subjectivity, an unhealthy dynamic for democracy and our current flawed information environment.
The opposition party Vente Venezuela denounced via X that Machado was “intercepted and knocked down” from the motorcycle in which she was riding as she was leaving the protest, and that “firearms were detonated” at that moment. They also claim that during her “kidnapping,” she was “forced” to record several videos, and was later released. One of these alleged videos, quite rare, was shared on social media channels linked to the Government and has already been the subject of multiple conspiracy theories. In it, Machado speaks without further ado about a “small blue purse” that she dropped while “being chased”, but does not refer to any concrete physical or violent encounter with the security forces. Later, via X, Machado spoke of a person shot while she was being detained, and that this Friday she would declare what happened and comment on “what is to come”. I do not understand why she should keep the people anxious to listen to her, for better or for worse, in suspense for one night. The opposition has denounced new arrests, focusing yesterday Thursday on those of a journalist and an activist.
Soon after hundreds of people, including politicians from different countries, asked for her release, the government shared a video through their telegram channels of Machado. They used this to say she was “lying”, even calling her “crazy” pic.twitter.com/ySi4BDtK8c
— Ana Vanessa Herrero (@AnaVHerrero) January 10, 2025
The government, meanwhile, has treated the event as a false flag operation and also referred to it as a “media distraction”. “They wanted to alarm all of Venezuela and in the end they ended up with the ridiculousness of ridiculousness, lying, saying that the government had captured Maria Corina,” said the powerful Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a veteran leader, second in the PSUV, who is very confident about what will happen this Friday and boasted of the supposed success of the Chavista rally. One part is not telling the truth here, time will say. The alleged arrest generated a hurried international backlash, with Chile as one of the countries that most strongly lambasted the Miraflores Palace through its confused “leftist” president Gabriel Boric. “[Venezuela] has become a dictatorship, a dictatorship that, in addition, stole the last elections,” he declared. Trump, in practice already the U.S. president, said on Truth Social that Machado nor Edmundo González should not be harmed. It is unknown what will be the policy to be adopted towards Venezuela by the renewed White House from now on. Edmundo Gonzalez promised to be in Caracas this Friday for his inauguration. We shall see.
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
I do not agree that Trump has such practical ability to wield the power of the federal government, because he does not yet actually have the authority to effect that power. He is able to assert how he will use that authority when he does have it, which is scheduled to begin on Jan 20, ten days from today. This does create some political pressure on persons and entities, but it falls far short of having that pen in hand and being able to immediately exercise it.
Thanks!
Hello friend, I am clear about what you state here. I meant to point to the irrelevance of the Biden administration in its lame-duck days and how Trump, from speech alone, moves the market and produces policy changes and concrete actions worldwide. Biden doesn´t have such power right now, but there is no disagreement with your point. Thanks for your feedback always.