Venezuelan security forces seek to quell protests against Maduro's attempt to cling to power

CARACAS, Venezuela — Riot police were out in force in Venezuela 's capital Thursday looking to quell protesters seeking to block President Nicolás Maduro's attempt to cling to power despite credible evidence that he lost last summer's election by a landslide

The National Assembly, which like all institutions in Venezuela is controlled by the ruling socialist party, is scheduled to swear in Maduro on Friday to another six-year term. In anticipation, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was banned from running against Maduro and has been in hiding since the disputed vote, has called for mass protest to block that from happening.

Early Thursday, the normally bustling streets of Caracas were lifeless as schools, businesses and government agencies shuttered fearing violence.

By midday, there was a relatively small turnout for the protests. Venezuelans who've witnessed Maduro's security forces round up scores of opponents and regular bystanders since the July election were reluctant to mobilize in the same numbers as they have in the past.

''Of course, there's fewer people,'' said empanada vendor Miguel Contrera as National Guard soldiers carrying riot shields buzzed by on motorcycles. ''There's fear.''

Those demonstrators that did show up blocked a main avenue in one opposition stronghold Thursday to shouts of ''Freedom! Freedom!'' Many were senior citizens and dressed in red, yellow and blue, answering Machado's call to wear the colors of the Venezuelan flag. All repudiated Maduro and said they would recognize Edmundo González — Machado's last minute stand-in on the ballot — as Venezuela's legitimate president.

The deployment of security forces as well as pro-government armed groups known as ''colectivos" to intimidate opponents betrays a deep insecurity on the part of Maduro, said Javier Corrales, a Latin America expert at Amherst College.

Since the elections, the government has arrested more than 2,000 people — including as many as 10 Americans and other foreigners — who it claims have been plotting to oust Maduro and sow chaos in the oil rich South American nation. This week alone, masked gunmen arrested a former presidential candidate, a prominent free speech activist and even González's son-in-law as he was taking his young children to school.

''It's an impressive show of force but it's also a sign of weakness,'' said Corrales, who co-authored this month an article, ''How Maduro Stole Venezuela's Vote,'' in the Journal of Democracy.

''Maduro is safe in office,'' said Corrales, ''but he and his allies recognize they are moving forward with a big lie and have no other way to justify what they are doing except by relying on the military.''

Venezuela's National Electoral Council, also stacked with government loyalists, declared Maduro the winner of the election. But unlike in previous contests, authorities did not provide any access to voting records or precinct-level results.

The opposition, however, collected tally sheets from 85% of electronic voting machines and posted them online. They showed that its candidate, Edmundo González, had thrashed Maduro by a more than two-to-one margin. Experts from the United Nations and the Atlanta-based Carter Center, both invited by Maduro's government to observe the election, have said the tally sheets published by the opposition are legitimate.

The U.S. and other governments have also recognized González as Venezuela's president-elect. Even many of Maduro's former leftist allies in Latin America plan to skip Friday's swearing-in ceremony.

President Joe Biden, meeting González at the White House this week, praised the previously unknown retired diplomat for having ''inspired millions."

''The people of Venezuela deserve a peaceful transfer of power to the true winner of their presidential election,'' Biden said following the meeting.

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Goodman reported from Miami.