"Venezuelan Presidential Race: Factions Demonstrate and Opposition Denounces Intimidation"

Dueling political factions in Venezuela held competing rallies as the presidential election year kicked off, with supporters of President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader María Corina Machado demonstrating in Caracas. Both sides failed to draw the massive crowds seen in previous years, reflecting political disappointments and uncertainty over the upcoming election. Maduro seeks to extend his decade-long presidency, while Machado's participation remains in doubt due to a ban imposed by the government. The opposition's high turnout in a primary and a referendum on claiming part of Guyana have highlighted the ruling party's waning ability to mobilize supporters, while repression against Machado and her team intensifies.