Opposition leader María Corina Machado left an emotional message to Venezuelans just hours before the celebration of a presidential election that could change the course of the South American nation, which has been under chavismo for over two decades.
"Dear Venezuelans, the day has arrived! We have been fighting for this moment for 25 years, and the moment has come," wrote Corina on X, who outlined in a video three requests to the Venezuelan people to manifest unity throughout this electoral day.
First moment: 5:00 a.m.
The first call is at 5:00 a.m., at which time Venezuelans must play the national anthem "Gloria al bravo pueblo" from their homes and cell phones.
"We are going to show the world that we are ready and united, that we are a massive majority, and that we are proud to be a country of liberators," he explained.
The opposition leader urged participants to record that moment and share it on social media to amplify the message of unity.
Second moment: 1:00 p.m.
The second key moment will take place at 1:00 p.m., when the leader of Vente Venezuela scheduled a live event through her social media to maintain communication and coordination among voters.
"Your presence in that live stream will be a demonstration that we are united again," he said, emphasizing the importance of staying informed through official channels to avoid misinformation that may come from the regime.
Third moment: 6:00 p.m.
The third and final call will be made at the close of the polling centers, at 6:00 p.m.
Machado urged citizens to stay at the polling stations to ensure transparency in the counting process.
He insisted that vote counting is a citizen's right and encouraged the population to oversee the process "paper by paper" to ensure the integrity of the electoral outcome.
The political leader also called to ignore possible attempts by Maduro's regime to spread messages that could generate fear or confusion among voters.
"We will have lived an epic day. We will have built the historical achievement of our people. Nobody will have told us about it because each of us will have been a protagonist of this story of freedom. Then it will be time to celebrate. May God bless us!" he concluded.
Some keys to the elections in Venezuela
Nicolás Maduro seeks to solidify his power with a third term, although many polls indicate victory for the opposition front, which has had to settle for presenting former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as their candidate after María Corina Machado, the winner of the primaries, was disqualified by Maduro's government for 15 years from holding public office.
A total of 21,392,464 Venezuelans over the age of 18 are eligible to vote in the presidential elections. However, it is estimated that of that number, at least 4.5 million Venezuelans of voting age are outside the country and will not be able to participate in the elections.
In order to register in the Electoral Registry, voters abroad had to go to embassies or consulates between March 18 and April 16, but many encountered complications in doing so, which they consider an attempt by Nicolás Maduro's regime to take away their vote.
In the end, only about 69,000 will be able to participate abroad due to the new requirements of the Electoral Register.
In Venezuela, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has enabled more than 15,700 voting centers and 30,026 polling stations.
The polling stations will operate from 6:00 a.m. (local time) to 6:00 p.m. and will remain open as long as there are voters in line.
The inauguration of the elected president will take place on January 10, 2025, as established by the Venezuelan Constitution.
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