Maduro hails triumph of ‘truth and love’ and accuses Machado of a ‘satanic pact’ with Elon Musk

Chavismo on Wednesday celebrated one month since the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election in Venezuela. Since that announcement nothing has changed: the authorities have not yet presented the vote tallies from July 28 amid growing suspicions of fraud that have led a large part of the international community not to recognize the announced victory of the incumbent president. “Today we can say that the truth and the love of the immense majority of the people have triumphed,” Maduro affirmed. “What would have happened if violence had prevailed on those days of July 29, 30, and 31 or if the criminals had won? How many hundreds of wounded and dead would there have been? That is why the common man and woman are grateful that we have triumphed.”

The president also took the opportunity to attack the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, again and to speculate that he will leave the country. “He is hiding. Today marks a month since he hid, he is not showing his face,” Maduro said in front of an audience of supporters. “He ordered suitcases [...] He is sleeping somewhere in Altamira and is preparing to escape,” he added, claiming this was information that had reached him. “If they had to make a complaint, why didn’t they go to the National Electoral Council or the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ)? Why didn’t he go to the appointment with the Attorney General’s Office? This man has the gall to ignore the electoral power, the TSJ, and the Attorney General’s Office.”

Maduro also criticized the protest called Wednesday by opposition figurehead María Corina Machado, whom he again accused of being involved in “a satanic pact” with the United States and Elon Musk, owner of the social network X, one of the disinformation narratives that Chavismo has deployed after the disputed election. “They have given up, she [Machado] believes she is above the law and the Constitution, she believes that only with the support of the North American empire it is enough. Thirty days, and where is Elon Musk? The Venezuelan people have knocked out Elon Musk and the satanists.” He then accused them of having caused a partial blackout on Tuesday afternoon.

The Chavista leader also criticized the efforts of the international community to resolve the political crisis in the country, such as those promoted by leftist leaders in the region and the United States. “Don’t stick your noses in Venezuela’s internal affairs,” he warned.

Despite the messages of disqualification against the opposition, Maduro called for the unity of the country. “I will never tire of calling for dialogue and understanding, because we have the experience, the people, the civil-police-military union, and we are the embodiment of the sacred forces of the homeland. These people were blessed to have a father like Hugo Chávez; we are the sons and daughters of Chávez. We have the moral right, because of everything we have fought for and resisted, to call all Venezuelans to unity.”

During the ceremony, Maduro swore in the new officials of his Cabinet, which he called the Revolutionary Council of Ministers. “I swear to begin this new stage of transition to socialism with strength and greater dialogue. I swear to go to the neighborhoods and communities and govern with the people and make direct, radical, and communal democracy a reality, and build a new system of eminently popular government,” he said.

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