For today, August 17, 2024, a massive worldwide protest was organized, where all Venezuelans would peacefully go out to protest against electoral fraud, against tyranny, against dictatorship, to symbolically shout for our freedom and desire to return to our country, the desire to see it emerge and grow. (Edit: I wrote this yesterday, but it took me so long to get the photos that I'm going to make this post today, August 18, 2024).

Yesterday there were more than 370 protests by Venezuelans around the world and, after looking at all the photos, perhaps we all asked ourselves the question:

Does that solve our problem in Venezuela?

I am not a political scientist, but let's look at the evidence, this is the best I could find:

A study by Stephan and Chenoweth that reviewed 323 campaigns between 1900 and 2006 using inclusion criteria of size, objectives, and duration.

It showed that nonviolent civil resistance is twice as likely to succeed as violent campaigns in achieving its objectives.

If you like the video format, one of the authors explained the results in just over 10 minutes during a TED Talk https://t.co/Pz8U6Fv5j3

Nonviolent campaigns are successful in 53% of cases vs. 26% of violent campaigns in over 100 years of review. Furthermore, in the last 50 years, nonviolence is more frequent and more successful.

Nonviolent civil resistance is more fruitful for 2 main reasons:

In the study, every movement that reached 3.5% of the population committed and without violence was successful.

In the face of regime repression, NON-violent campaigns are 6 times more likely to succeed than violent campaigns.

The chance of security force desertion is 4 times higher in NON-violent campaigns compared to violent campaigns (this is key) - See image in comments (1/A)

A case study is Serbia in 2000, when dictator Milosevic falsified the results of an election.

Non-violent protests began and at one point the police decided not to obey the order to suppress them because "they knew their children would be at the protest."

We continue, campaigns that receive international support are three times more likely to be successful against a regime that responds violently.

Regarding time, the duration of the campaign does not affect its chance of success, but longer ones have a limited risk of success.

On the other hand, successful NON-violent campaigns resulted in defections 52% of the time, while violent campaigns resulted in defections 32% of the time.

If there are defections in the security forces in a NON-violent campaign, there is a 46 times greater chance of success than in a violent campaign without defections. - See image in comments (1/B)

In summary, 323 cases studied in 106 years around the world reveal

NON-violence is twice as successful

Security force desertions are key and NON-violence is more likely to generate them

The cost of repression is higher in the face of NON-violence

🇦🇷More than 25 thousand people attended the rally in Buenos Aires. https://x.com/Gbastidas/status/1824978634458763408

🇦🇷Massive demonstration of Venezuelan exiles in the city of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, in support of María Corina and Edmundo. https://x.com/EmmaRincon/status/1824922930049941582

🇦🇷Venezuelans in Argentina https://x.com/pampanocarvajal/status/1824743532185157989

Venezuelans in Buenos Aires with printed documents defending the truth. https://x.com/Gbastidas/status/1824903441434472696 • 🇨🇱Santiago de Chile Aerial view of Santiago de Chile supporting the freedom of Venezuela https://x.com/EmmaRincon/status/1824963782029848910 • 🇲🇽Monument of the Revolution, Mexico City, August 17, 2024

Venezuelans in Mexico protest against Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship and fraud in the elections. https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824880587443991032 • 🇪🇸Madrid, Spain This is how the national anthem was heard at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain. A crowd gathered against the fraud of the Chavista tyranny. https://x.com/VVperiodistas_/status/1824908073057865776

🇪🇸Gran Canaria/ Bilbao/ Barcelona

🇪🇸Barcelona, Spain

🇪🇸The Town Hall and the Millennium Dome in Valladolid, Spain, are illuminated with the colors of the Venezuelan flag. • 🇺🇸Miami

🇺🇸In Times Square, New York, Venezuelans demonstrate against the fraud of the Nicolás Maduro regime. https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1824939445012869428

🇺🇸Massive Global Protest for Truth in San Francisco, California.

🇺🇸Texas/ New York/ Washington

🇺🇸Venezuelans in the World from Atlanta USA https://x.com/VenMundo/status/1824852833365057722

🇺🇸Venezuelans in Las Vegas https://x.com/Sinmordaza/status/1824991585374720366 •

🇵🇪Venezuelans in Lima joined together to defend the truth in Venezuela and demand respect for what was expressed at the polls on 28Jul

• 🇨🇴Mayor of Bogotá, Carlos F. Galán: "Bogotá will not be complicit in electoral fraud."

Bogotá and Medellín

Venezuelans in Medellín reject Gustavo Petro's government's proposal to redo the elections in Venezuela. https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1824940059776127393 • 🇬🇧Venezuelans in Bournemouth, United Kingdom/ 🇵🇷Puerto Rico/ 🇨🇦Canada/ Big Island, Hawai'i

🇵🇦Panama took to the streets this Saturday against fraud in Venezuela. https://x.com/NituPerez/status/1824972756816900128

🇨🇷A group of Nicaraguan exiles accompanied Venezuelans who participated in the Great World Protest for Truth in San José, Costa Rica. https://x.com/ConVzlaComando/status/1824960207723864322 • 🇧🇷From Rio de Janeiro We are united by the same desire for change and freedom!

🇧🇷Macaé, Campinas y Manaos, Brasil

🇧🇷Sao Paulo, Brasil https://x.com/Sinmordaza/status/1824889678639649214

🇪🇨From Bicentennial Park, Quito, Venezuelans join the great world protest defending the truth of Venezuela • 🇻🇪Caracas A banner with the names of political prisoners is displayed at the rally called by María Corina Machado and Edmundo González.

The Committee of Relatives of Political Prisoners presented at the rally held in Caracas the names of the 2,500 political prisoners currently in Venezuela https://x.com/_Provea/status/1824897287476109563

🇻🇪San Cristóbal, Venezuela

🇻🇪Puerto Ordaz came out with documents in hand to demand freedom https://x.com/francescadiazm/status/1824828873848312035

🇻🇪Carabobo, Venezuela https://x.com/CaraboboConVzla/status/1824859277074239741 https://x.com/lilianrangel/status/1824832887751160005

🇻🇪Lara, Venezuela https://x.com/federicoalves/status/1824821505064067198

🇻🇪Chichiriviche, Falcón

🇻🇪Barinas https://x.com/BarinasConVzla/status/1824835255997448471

🇻🇪Lecheria https://x.com/VenteAnzoategui/status/1824867843764343015

🇻🇪Junín and Tucupita representing Táchira and Delta Amacuro. Venezuela takes to the streets in a civic manner to demand that our will be respected! https://x.com/ConVzlaComando/status/1824837460461015295

🇻🇪Nueva Esparta https://x.com/monitoreamos/status/1824839408513622527

🇻🇪Mérida https://x.com/PerkinsRocha/status/1824836109819388184 • 🇲🇹Malta https://x.com/rguevaravilla/status/1824862782799442121

🇺🇾Montevideo, Uruguay The Venezuelan National Anthem is heard at full volume in Montevideo, Uruguay. https://x.com/UHN_Plus/status/1824930757586145467

🇵🇹Portugal

🇨🇭Suiza

🇬🇧From the United Kingdom, thousands of Venezuelans and local patriots are calling for the liberation of Venezuela from the murderous dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. https://x.com/eduardomenoni/status/1824840992136274076

In front of the Venezuelan Embassy in London https://x.com/JraissatiJorge/status/1824808012596305994

Iqaluit, Nunavut (Inuit territory).

🇦🇺Australia

🇦🇷El Bolson in Argentine Patagonia

🇧🇸Venezuelans in Nassau

🇨🇾Protests against the Maduro regime in Venezuela are also taking place in Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea.

🇮🇹Verona - Italia https://x.com/SabrinaCrucesC/status/1824847370971971921

🇮🇹From Milan, Italy https://x.com/ConVzlaComando/status/1824971060430655567

🇫🇷Toulouse, Bayonne, Paris

From Paris and despite the rain https://x.com/sspxs/status/1824828648526123337

🇳🇱Venezuelans in Amsterdam, Netherlands, join global protest against Maduro's fraud. https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824773619181928541

Budapest https://x.com/LakatosEduardo/status/1824863870273437879

🇩🇪rally in Frankfurt for Venezuela https://x.com/ADRIANAAZZIAS/status/1824795504368128240

🇨🇦Montreal, Canadá https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1824840429826675121

🇳🇱Amsterdam/ 🇩🇰Dinamarca/ 🇨🇿VPrague/ 🇫🇮Helsinki, Finland/ 🇧🇪Belgica

🇵🇱 Polonia /🇳🇿New Zealand/ 🇯🇵Japon/ 🇭🇺Budapest - Hungary

🇩🇪Venezuelans in Frankfurt/ 🇮🇹Turin, Italy/ 🇲🇾 Malasia/ 🇻🇳 Vietnam/ 🇬🇧 Belfast

🇨🇦City Hall de Calgary/ 🇭🇷Zagreb,Croacia/ 🇮🇳India/ 🇬🇹Guatemala/ 🇪🇨Guataquil, Ecuador/ 🇴🇲Oman

🇯🇵Osaka/ 🇱🇻Letonia/ 🇪🇬Egipto/ 🇳🇴Stavanger/ 🇪🇸Murcia/ 🇲🇹Malta/ Bahrein/ 🇫🇷París

🇬🇷Grecia/ 🇮🇸Islandia/ 🇵🇾Paraguay/ 🇹🇼Taiwan/ 🇧🇬 Bulgaria/ 🇸🇪 Estocolmo/ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Escocia

🇸🇰Bratislava, Eslovaquia/ 🇮🇱Israel/ Gaza/ 🇦🇶Antártida/ 🇱🇧Beirut/ 🇦🇺Australia/ 🇧🇪Bruselas

🇯🇵Shibuya, Japón/ 🇦🇺Brisbane, Australia/ 🇩🇪Sajonia, Dresden/ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Manchester Inglaterra/ País Vasco/ 🇯🇵Tokio, Japon/ 🇰🇷Korea del Sur

From Uganda, in Africa, a Venezuelan woman sends a heartfelt message to her fellow countrymen: "We are only three people living in Uganda, but from here we are with you Venezuela and we want a free Venezuela" https://x.com/NTN24/status/1824844902695657888

🇩🇴Venezuelans in the Dominican Republic https://x.com/JoseRafael20/status/1824901097003307391

🇦🇺Neither rain nor cold prevented Venezuelans in Perth, Australia, from gathering in the great global protest against Maduro's fraud https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824767738083975365

🇵🇷Capitolio de San Juan, Puerto Rico. https://x.com/UHN_Plus/status/1824932983243206829

Dublin-Ireland Protest for freedom in Venezuela https://x.com/JuanBarrozzi/status/1824847920727777513

🇸🇻Venezuelans in El Salvador also gathered to protest against Maduro's fraud. https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824999776972136923 • • The moment in which Maduro's tyranny kidnaps a Venezuelan citizen is recorded. https://x.com/EmmaRincon/status/1824833017719730481 • The Nicolás Maduro regime began to repress the protesters who were gathering in Maracay, Aragua state. https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1824821082521534668 • Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship militarizes part of Petare to intimidate, instill psychological terror and prevent people from coming down to protest against the fraud. https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824808071467602302 • The governor Karina Carpio ordered the repression of the Aragonese again. Aragua is the state with the most deaths in protests against the fraud of July 28. https://x.com/VVperiodistas_/status/1824826038163018209 • Maracay https://x.com/Cuchinita/status/1824820644321562693

https://x.com/Silmaryspalma/status/1824810164714926413 • Even though Venezuela Avenue and 26th Street were taken over by the Police and the National Guard, the people overcame fear, this is how Barquisimeto is until now and until the end. https://x.com/orfanfayana/status/1824829481543999626 • Images of the arrest of Piero Maroun, Secretary of the National Organization of AD in Resistance. He was arrested last night in Caracas while having dinner with his wife. https://x.com/Thabatica/status/1824786272482734260 • Maduro militarizes all of Caracas to prevent protests; the dictatorship has deployed approximately 6,000 military and police officers. https://x.com/eduardomenoni/status/1824833205196685365 • In Machiques, Zulia:

The Nicolás Maduro regime kidnaps a priest in his truck while protesters were praying a rosary. https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1824840931691958607 • Armed men get out of the truck and take the regional Organization Secretary of the political party Un Nuevo Tiempo and the CLEC Deputy, Carlos Molina, into custody after leaving the rally in Valencia in the State of Carabobo. https://x.com/jesusmedinae/status/1824913321591480651 • The arbitrary detention of the lawyer Henry Gómez Fernández, defender of human rights, along with a group of people, was confirmed. They are in the GN Command No. 63 of Puerto Ayacucho, state of. Indigenous https://x.com/olnarortizBare/status/1824920529708429730 • Mabel Melendez, a young woman who made a cardboard tank with a message of peace during the peaceful protest today, August 17, in El Tijerazo, was arrested in Carabobo.

We are informed that two security guards at her residence were also arrested for police in Carabobo. https://x.com/nikollarteagah/status/1824908530479948095 • Father asks for freedom for his minor son (15 years old) imprisoned in Venezuela! Detained, beaten causing facial paralysis https://x.com/DIFERSAY/status/1825019168615248136

They report that a crane from the National Police of the Maduro regime has confiscated the truck used by María Corina Machado and Edmundo González for opposition rallies https://x.com/MagalliMeda/status/1824924687022854603

Food with worms, five liters of water for fifteen people, cells without ventilation. These are the conditions in which those detained by the Maduro regime after the July 28 elections in Venezuela are held. https://x.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1824997301925892311