CARACAS – Venezuela’s opposition has called for mass protests on January 9, the day before President Nicolas Maduro is set to be inaugurated for his third term. 

“This day will go down in history as the day Venezuela said, ‘Enough,’” declared opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in a video message on X. “We cannot beg for freedom. It must be conquered, it must be won.” 

According to the opposition, Maduro was decisively defeated in the July 28 elections last year by opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Gonzalez’s victory has been recognized by the United States, Italy, and several Latin American nations. 

However, Venezuela's electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner. The announcement sparked massive protests, which were violently suppressed, resulting in at least 28 deaths and over 2,000 arrests. 

An arrest warrant has been issued against Gonzalez, who has fled to Spain. Meanwhile, Machado remains in hiding within Venezuela. 

In preparation for January 9, Gonzalez has visited several Latin American governments, including those of Argentina and Uruguay. He is expected to meet at the White House in Washington on Monday, according to an anonymous source. Gonzalez has also called on the Venezuelan military to recognize him as the country’s commander-in-chief and to side with opposition supporters.