Venezuelan ruling party stages march for Hugo Chávez, sidelining President Maduro

Venezuelan Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello called on PSUV militants to march on 28 July in memory of Hugo Chávez's 72nd birthday, describing the event as a national tragedy yet insisting on commemoration. The rally follows the second anniversary of the disputed 2024 presidential election, which the government claimed delivered an "aplastante mayoría" (overwhelming majority) despite accusations of fraud and the lack of detailed results.

President Nicolás Maduro, whose victory was proclaimed by the National Electoral Council, remains detained in the United States after being captured on 3 January during a U.S. operation ordered by the Trump administration. Official statements from Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and Science Minister Yván Gil praised Chávez as the guiding figure of the revolution, while the march omitted any mention of Maduro's presidency.

The event underscores the ruling party’s focus on Chávez’s legacy as a political rallying point, even as internal challenges and international scrutiny of Maduro’s legitimacy persist.