Grapevine

By Al Jazeera
Jul 26, 2024

‘Proud to be a revolutionary:’ How Maduro appeals to his dwindling base

Valencia, Venezuela – In the Venezuelan town of Los Guayos, Elsa Rojas sits proudly under a blue tent erected in a corner of the main square.

A large poster hangs down from one corner of the awning. Another is draped over the white plastic table in front of her.

Both bear the same moustachioed face: that of President Nicolas Maduro, styled in the colours of the Venezuelan flag.

Rojas meticulously reviews a list attached to her clipboard. All morning, she has asked passersby to pledge to vote for Maduro as he seeks a third term in Sunday’s presidential elections.

“I feel proud to be a revolutionary,” she said, echoing the rhetoric of the Bolivarian Revolution, the socialist movement that Maduro has championed. “Maduro has given us so much.”