Around 50 Kiwi Venezuelans gathered in Auckland's Aotea Square to protest President Nicolas Maduro's regime.
Around 50 Kiwi Venezuelans gathered in Auckland's Aotea Square to protest President Nicolas Maduro's regime.
Members of New Zealand’s Venezuelan community around the country gathered as part of worldwide protests against the Government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Nearly 50 Venezuelans gathered in the pouring rain in Auckland’s Aotea Square while a further 50 rallied in front of Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance.
Jetzabel Hickstold the Herald rally attendants in Auckland felt buoyant and optimistic despite the heavy rain.
“We drove up from Napier to attend the rally and had not met anyone before,” she said.
“There were instant connections among strangers because all Venezuelans outside the country are feeling same mix of hope and anxiety, frustration and pride.”
Around 50 Kiwi Venezuelans gathered in front of the Bridge of Remembrance in Christchurch to protest President Nicolas Maduro's regime.
Questions of legitimacy have plagued last month’s election after Maduro claimed victory despite trailing in almost every opinion poll in the run-up to voting.
However, the country’s opposition said its tally of 80% of the votes showed Edmundo Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president.
During the election day, Gonzalez and firebrand leader Maria Corina Machado encouraged supporters to gather copies of electronic voting receipts from polling stations across the country.
Machado and Gonzalez released detailed tallies on a public website which, according to Reuters, showed the opposition received more than 7 million votes compared to Maduro’s 3.3 million.
The Government has so far not shared any information beyond a national total of votes for each candidate.
Hicks said everyone was proud of the opposition.
“They proved beyond a doubt that Venezuela voted for change and Maduro needs to go,” she said.
“They did it legally and peacefully and are a testament to democratic spirit. And they have stayed, to keep on resisting, despite the danger they are in.
The Napier resident said the Kiwi Venezuelans were worried for the people back home.
“They are getting shot and thrown in miserable jails for peacefully protesting in the streets. If we were in Venezuela now doing this rally, the Government would be recording our faces and our names and sending their thugs to get us afterwards.”
Government forces have reportedly begun cracking down on dissent with videos emerging online of officers dragging protesters and opposition supporters into vehicles.
“It was not going to be as easy as voting, the opposition wins the election, the Government respect the results and then happy days.”
The United States and several Latin American countries have cast doubt on Maduro’s re-election.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, called for an independent verification and audit of the vote count “as soon as possible.” while Argentine President Javier Milei said he would not recognise a “fraud.”
Questions of legitimacy have plagued the recent election after President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory despite opposition claims of fraud.
The pair hoped these would provide definitive proof of the results rather than relying on government officials to declare a winner.
A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand has supported international calls for full transparency of Venezuela’s recent election results.
“It is essential that the democratic process be upheld and the will of the Venezuelan people be respected. We urge the National Electoral Council to release the full voting tallies as required under Venezuelan law.”
