President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, warned last Tuesday that Venezuela’s fate in the 21st century depends on its victory in the presidential election next Sunday, July 28, and He warned of the possibility of “civil war” if he lost.

“If they don’t want Venezuela to fall into a bloodbath, into a fratricidal civil war, “a product of fascism, let’s guarantee the greatest success, the greatest victory in the electoral history of our people,” he said at a public event in Caracas reported by CNN.

In this sense, he assured that only with his victory would this become possible. to guarantee peace in the country: “The stronger the victory, the more guarantees of peace we will have. The stronger the voices, the more guarantees for the future we are going to guarantee these girls and boys.”

For his part, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition Maria Corina Machado He said on Wednesday that there is a social movement of all ages and in all regions of the country. for “liberation” but also for redemption, Because, he said, Venezuelans need to heal their wounds and find themselves again.

“This is a social movement (…) a movement for liberation, but also for redemption, we must heal these wounds and rediscover ourselves as Venezuelans,” he told the media in the state of Portuguesa (centre), where he held campaign event in support of Edmundo González Urrutia, candidate of the largest anti-Chavista coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD).

He also said that an attempt had been made to intimidate or harass citizens of Guanare, the capital of Portugal, so that they would not participate in their activities, but He emphasized the “brave and civil response of society.”

He added that Three trucks were “seized by force” and the drivers “detained.” as well as sound equipment for the event, “so that people don’t come, to scare the population.”

On Tuesday, the non-governmental organization Foro Penal reported that Venezuelan authorities This year, 102 people linked to González Urrutia’s election campaign have been arrested. To this is added today the story of Milciades Avila, a former police officer and head of security for Machado’s team, arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of “gender violence against some women” who last Saturday “tried to attack” the anti-Chavista candidate.

Of the 102 arrests – some for a few hours, others with jail time to date – 77 occurred after the formal start of the campaign, on July 4, which reflects “a clear pattern of action against activists, militants, even collaborators or people who provide their services” to González Urrutia and Machado, said Gonzalo Himiob, director of Penal Forum.

(according to information from EFE And Aristegui News)