Protests Erupt Over Maduro Reelection in Venezuela

Protests have erupted across Venezuela following the National Electoral Council's declaration of Nicolás Maduro's victory in the presidential election, a result widely criticized as fraudulent. Anti-government activists have toppled statues of Hugo Chávez, expressing their anger over the alleged election theft by Maduro. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and other critics claim that the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had a clear lead, and international observers, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have called for transparency. Venezuelan security forces have responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, and several arrests have been made. The situation has led to widespread unrest, with citizens chanting for freedom and burning Maduro campaign posters.