Thread by @ThomasVLinge

I've just come back from #Venezuela 🇻🇪 where I spent 2.5 weeks, witnessing the run-up to the presidential vote, and what was arguably the most outrageous election steal in the modern history of Latin America.

I'll share some thoughts below 🧵

First off before going into the political situation I just wanted to stress how great it was to be reminded how easy it is to fall in love with Caracas, and how amazing the Venezuelan people are.

Someone I'd met briefly 7 years ago, would greet me again as if we were family.

I was never big about celebrating my birthday, so I figured I'll just arrive in Venezuela that day, do some work and let the day pass quietly, no big deal.

Well that wouldn't fly when I told my Venezuelan friends there. They insisted on celebrating, and even brought friends.

The week running up to the elections was a weird mix of enthusiastic optimism and tense dread. Everyone was hoping for the best (and with good reason). But Venezuelans are not naive. They knew that the worst case scenario (fraud) was always in the cards.

And it takes strength and character to show this kind of optimism after all those years.

Venezuelans went through 3 bloody and failed uprisings, 2/3 of the entire economy vaporized, repression, crime & violence a daily reality. They had all the reasons not to believe in change.

And all of that hope wouldn't have been possible without the leadership of @MariaCorinaYA, the calm assurance of @EdmundoGU and the widespread until and support by other opposition figures such as @delsasolorzano.

One could argue that the opposition performed a miracle

@MariaCorinaYA @EdmundoGU @delsasolorzano What makes @MariaCorinaYA and @EdmundoGU so popular is that they're both, in their own ways, the anti-Maduro

Her: a well educated, catholic mother of two, with a reputation of being incorruptible.

Him: a quiet, shy, grandpa who could not be further from the caudillo stereotype

@MariaCorinaYA @EdmundoGU @delsasolorzano Of course it goes without saying that Maduro is despised by the vast majority of Venezuelans, but running an effective campaign against him and the entire state apparatus is still easier said that done.

Yet this time the opposition managed to do it.

When asked why people came out to support the opposition and vote against Maduro, two answers came up most often: 'freedom' and 'my family'

Venezuelans are a family-oriented people, and every family has now been separated by migration. This is what people find most unforgivable

On the day of the vote there was modest but widespread optimism across the country.

As she went to vote in the presence of hundreds of supporters, Maria Corina described the day as "the most significant civil act in the history of Venezuela"

But as the day turned into the night and there were still no results people were starting to get nervous.

One of the first signs to me that something bad was going to happen when at 11:00 I passed the Plaza Altamira (historically a protest site) and saw it packed with police.

And then, shortly after midnight, everyone's nightmare became reality as the CNE announced the "results", a Maduro victory with 51%.

The second it was announced Caracas bursted in fury. People screaming 'fraud!' from their rooftops, banging pots and blowing whistles.

And the next day, July 29th, Caracas woke up in fury in disbelief. Many had feared the regime would steal the elections, but when it actually happened the feeling of shock was widespread.

Protests started almost instantaneously.

Those first few hours of July 29th were filled with uncertainty. The opposition had not come out yet with a roadmap, and with no clear direction to guide them, Venezuelans took their anger to the streets.

Thousands started marching from the east of Caracas towards the west.

There was a certain beauty in this sadness. Beauty in that countless people went out to wave their flags, sing their national anthem and declare their love for Venezuela, but sadness in that they shouldn't have to take the risks to go out into the streets and defend their votes.

There was also something empowering about being on Plaza Altamira that day. I think many who went out to protest, feared they would be the only ones, only to arrive at the square and find that thousands had joined them.

But people also found that the more things change, the more they stay the same. As hundreds of protesters decided to march towards Miraflores (pres. palace), they were stopped by police shooting tear gas, and being chased by collectivos (pro-regime thugs) firing guns into the air

In Chacao (Caracas) that July 29th ended in tear gas, injured, and arrest, but across the country more than a dozen people had been killed by the regime.

It was time for the opposition to retake the initiative of the streets, they called for peaceful gatherings July 30th.

What is essential to the opposition's is the proof that Maduro stole the elections.

So on election day the oppo. deployed 100.000s of election monitors across the country to gather the results of each polling station. The receipts (las actas) would be their proof to the world.

Remember that election results are basically like a puzzle, and you need all the different pieces (the receipts) to add up to verify the result.

The opposition has been able to deliver that proof to show they won, Maduro has not, unwilling and unable to.

And so on July 30th a massive peaceful gathering was announced in eastern Caracas. Thousands of people showed up, dressed in white and carrying flags and signs.

The opposition was making it clearly it would not accept the results and allow Maduro to claim his victory unopposed.

When the leaders of the opposition showed up it was a major boost of moral. Many had feared the leaders had gone into hiding due to the wave of repression and we're unable to appear in the streets. But they did in defiance of the Maduro regime and we're received with jubilation.

That day the opposition did not call on people to stay in the streets or march, fearing it could lead to more repression.

Hundreds have been killed over the years, & although it is the regime that kills them, the opposition feels the weight of responsibility of not putting people in harm's way.

But as soon as some protesters headed west after the rally to go home they were again assaulted by the police.

People were once again being chased all throughout the streets of Caracas. 2024 felt like 2014/17/19.

What followed were 3 days of suspense, confusion and fear. Fear because people were being arrested left & right.

Spontaneous nighttime protests would erupt in Caracas, but only from the safety of people's homes. During the day Venezuelans went to the stores to stock up on food.

On Saturday, August 3rd, another protest was announced. This time in Las Marcedes. Based on the regime's repressive rhetoric the day before I went there, half-fearing another day of brutal repression, but in the end everything was peaceful. The turnout was very high as well.

The appearance of Maria Corina at the rally was definitely a major boost to everyone there. In the past days she had reported to have gone into hiding and nobody knew if she would show up.

But she managed to reach the rally site in disguise and appear to the cheers of thousands

On my last day in Venezuela, as calm returned to the streets & people were waiting for what's next, inspiration came out of a very unexpected corner.

Bangladesh had successfully overthrown its dictator with support of the army. Venezuelan Twitter was booming with the news out of Dhaka.