Maduro’s regime has sanctioned hotels, restaurants, sound suppliers and even a sale of empanadas for serving the opposition leader and her team.
Venezuela’s opposition on Sunday denounced an “escalation in the repression” against it by the ruling Chavismo, with further arrests of militants two weeks after the July 28 presidential election.
At least nine people were arrested in the last few hours in four states of the country, the campaign team reported. Another 14 were already detained by the intelligence services and six others are refugees at the Argentine embassy in Caracas.
“We are seeing an escalation in repression with the arrest of activists from different political parties, members of our campaign commandos at the municipal and even parochial levels, but in addition to people who have only done is offer us their services,” María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition along with the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, told journalists in a meeting with hundreds of young people at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), the most important in the country.
“This is far from intimidating us what he has given is greater energy and organization. This isn’t for anyone.’
María Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition.
Among those arrested is the owner of the truck that served as a platform for a rally by González and Machado in Valencia (center-north) and his assistants, while the tax authority closed a sandwich sale in neighboring La Victoria, hours after Machado and González stopped to buy lunch when they returned to Caracas.
This is not the first time it has happened: other hotels, restaurants, sound providers and even a sale of empanadas have been sanctioned for serving the opposition leader and her team.
President Nicolas Maduro, who is aiming for a third six-year term, often insists that the opposition is plotting to overthrow him. On Saturday, he said the “deeply chavista” armed force would be lifted up to win the opposition in the election.
The opposition event at the UCV – which was not authorized by the university authorities – brought together hundreds of young people shouting, “Freedom, freedom.” Banner with the face of Gonzalez and Machado were deployed in the nerve-wracking indoor square.
“In just two weeks, each of you will be the heroes of the vote,” Machado said amid applause and slogans. “Having been born and grown in tyranny, they will value and care for democracy like no other.”
“Let us work tirelessly to achieve the recovery of Venezuela. The recovery in its broadest sense,” said Gonzalez, unknown until his noury in extremis after Machado’s disqualification and veto of other names. “We have each and every one of you”.
This article has been translated after first appearing in Diario El Mundo