In photos: Venezuelans step up protests after Maduro declares election victory

Bolivarian National Guard soldiers stand guard at the entrances to the Miraflores Palace, the seat of the Venezuelan government, shortly before the announcement of the presidential election results, in Caracas, July 29, 2024. 

President Nicolas Maduro speaks in the courtyard of the Miraflores Palace, the seat of the Venezuelan government, in Caracas, shortly after the National Electoral Council declared him the winner of the presidential elections, July 29, 2024.

A supporter of President Nicolas Maduro celebrates the re-election of the Venezuelan leader for another six years in power on a street near the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, July 29, 2024.

After marching from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Caracas, young Venezuelans clash with the armed forces in the capital's central district, July 29, 2024. 

Supporters of Nicolas Maduro celebrate the Venezuelan president's re-election announcement at the Miraflores Palace, while drones draw the face of the Chavista leader in the skies above Caracas, July 29, 2024.

Protesters who demonstrated against the election results that declared Nicolas Maduro the winner are attacked with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades by the Venezuelan armed forces in Caracas, July 29, 2024.

Young people from poorer areas of Caracas took to the streets to protest against the presidential election results that declared Nicolas Maduro the winner, July 29, 2024. 

The day after the elections saw clashes between protesters and security forces in several cities across Venezuela. In Caracas, the protests met a harsh response from Maduro's security forces, July 29, 2024. 

Young people from the poor areas of Caracas took to the streets to protest against the presidential election results that declared Nicolas Maduro the winner, July 29, 2024.

Opponents of President Nicolas Maduro took to the streets to greet the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzales, and the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, July 30, 2024. 

The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzales, and the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, gathered thousands of supporters in the eastern side of Caracas, July 30, 2024.

After days of protests that left at least 16 dead and more than a thousand people arrested, the streets of Caracas were empty, July 31, 2024.