Tension is building as the result of the presidential election in Venezuela is awaited.
Many want to see a change and President Nicolás Maduro's more than ten years in power could be over.
For the first time in a long time, it seems as though the opposition in the country actually has a chance, according to AP.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, soon likely to be the formal Democratic presidential candidate, writes on the social media platform X that the election result must be respected when it comes. Harris posted the comment when the polling stations had just started closing on Sunday evening, local time, in Venezuela.
During Maduro's eleven-year socialist rule, Venezuela has been plunged deeper into economic crisis. The financial collapse has forced millions – the figure 7.7 million is mentioned – of inhabitants to flee the country. Of those who remain, around 80 percent live in poverty, according to the UN.
Among the opposition candidates is former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, Maduro's main challenger.
Backpack with snacks
Previously, the opposition has been divided and boycotted the previous election. But in April, González Urrutia was appointed leader of a coalition and replaced María Corina Machado, who was barred from running by the Maduro-loyal Supreme Court.
The opposition urged citizens to return to the polling stations to follow the vote count themselves and ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Liana Ibarra from Caracas was already queuing at 3 am on Sunday morning, equipped with a backpack full of snacks and coffee. At that point, 150 people were already ahead of her.
Previously, people were indifferent to elections. That's no longer the case, she says.
She says that if the opposition doesn't win, she will emigrate. Many in her family have already left the country.
We can't take it anymore, says Liana Ibarra.
Major shortage of medicines
In the working-class area of Petare, in eastern Caracas, people queued for several hours before the polling stations opened.
It's time for change in Venezuela, says Judith Cantilla.
She says that people are tired of the economically tough situation in the country and that more jobs and higher wages need to be created, among other things, for healthcare personnel. According to Cantilla, the widespread shortage of medicines in the country is another important issue that needs to be addressed.
Many of the millions of Venezuelans who have emigrated voted from their new home countries.
There is some doubt as to whether President Maduro will accept the verdict of the voters if the opposition wins. But after voting, Maduro promised that he would "ensure that the result is respected".
