Maria Corina Machado faced numerous obstacles on her journey from Caracas to Maracaibo to campaign for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia against President Nicolas Maduro. Government forces blocked roads, gas stations mysteriously closed, and poll monitors were denied accreditation. Despite these challenges, Machado remained determined, seeing them as the desperate actions of an authoritarian regime on its last legs.
As Venezuelans prepared to vote for the presidency, Maduro trailed Gonzalez by wide margins, raising hopes for an end to nearly a quarter century of socialist rule. However, opposition leaders like Machado warned of potential sabotage from the Maduro government, even at the expense of subverting democracy.
Machado, a former presidential frontrunner, had been barred from running for office and air travel by Maduro’s allies in government. Despite this, she continued to rally voters for Gonzalez, drawing large crowds in Maracaibo. However, she and her team faced harassment and threats, with some seeking refuge at the Argentinian embassy in Caracas to avoid arrest.
Despite the challenges, Machado found unexpected support from former chavista motorcyclists who now protect her campaign as she travels across the country. The government’s crackdown on opposition figures extended to low-level political workers and small business owners, with reports of arbitrary detentions and intimidation.
As the campaign season progressed, concerns grew about the integrity of the upcoming election, with voting centers closed, ballot confusion, and censorship of critical news channels. Maduro’s ominous warning of potential violence if the opposition wins further heightened tensions in the lead-up to the vote.
Despite the obstacles and threats, opposition leaders and their supporters remained hopeful for a landslide victory at the polls, keeping a spark of optimism alive even in the face of adversity.