Against the president

Dead and missing during protests in Venezuela

Protest against the government in Caracas(Bild: AP/Cristian Hernandez)

At least 16 people have died in protests against President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. Eleven others have "disappeared" according to the opposition. Numerous states are questioning Maduro's election victory.

After the election on Sunday, the authorities loyal to the government declared the socialist the winner. However, it has not yet published the results of the individual districts. The opposition accuses the government of rigging the election and is claiming victory for opposing candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. He is said to have received 67 percent of the vote, while the incumbent Madura only received 30 percent.

US election observers: Voting undemocratic
This view is now shared by several governments. The independent US organization Carter Center, which had sent observers to Venezuela, spoke of an undemocratic vote. The G7 foreign ministers have also called on the electoral office to publish the detailed results.

Young protesters in Caracas(Bild: AP/Cristian Hernandez)

Madura supporters and supporters(Bild: AFP/Yuri Cortez)

Relatives of those arrested(Bild: AFP/Mariana Mendez)

Opposition leader in hiding
People have been repeatedly taking to the streets against the government since Sunday. According to Madura, 1,200 of them have been arrested so far and 1,000 more are still being sought. He said that González and opposition leader María Corina Machado should also be in prison (see video above). Machado is already in hiding out of fear for her life. "I am writing these lines from a hiding place, fearing for my life, my freedom and that of my compatriots," she announced on Thursday.

She accused the security authorities of killing at least 20 people. Independent organizations speak of at least eleven fatalities, other sources of 16. 

Maduro's re-election in 2018 was not recognized by many countries. As the military backed him, the then parliamentary president Juan Guaidó was unable to assert himself.