From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is The Daily. For years, Venezuelans have been living through one of the most severe economic collapses in modern history, one that has caused about a quarter of the country to flee. But this weekend, an election is offering many a real hope for change. Today, my colleague Julie Turquowitz on the woman who's inspiring that hope and why, after years under a repressive government, Venezuelans think this time might be different. It's Friday, July 26th. Julie, we've spent a lot of time over the past couple of days on the show talking talking about, the thing that everybody's talking about, which is the American presidential election. But there's another important election happening, and that is the one in Venezuela on Sunday. The outcome could have some pretty serious repercussions both for Latin America and also for the United States. You are covering it. Talk to me about what's at stake here.

So, Venezuela is a country of roughly 28 million people that has seen somewhere between seven and eight million people leave in the last 10 years. In other words, about a quarter of the country has left. Many of our listeners have heard about this exodus because in recent years, many Venezuelans are showing up in the United States. Many of them are seeking asylum. What they are leaving behind is a pretty stark economic, humanitarian, and political crisis. I think it's important to note that the only other places in the world in which we see in exodus this large are places that are experiencing war. If You're talking about Syria, Ukraine, the conflict in Afghanistan. Venezuelan does not have an armed conflict, but it has a very dysfunctional economy and it has a very repressive government. This is the backdrop to the election Sunday. Many Venezuelans hope that this election will reverse the immense suffering, restore democracy, and stop this exodus that has caused so much damage inside Venezuela.

Okay, before we get into this election and what it means to Venezuelans, I have to ask, why would the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, who, as you say, is this famously authoritarian leader, agree to hold an election in the first place?

Well, Maduro has long loved holding elections because a vote makes him look legitimate. The thing is that these elections have not really been free or fair in many years, but he's holding elections this year under great international pressure. The United States in recent years has placed punishing sanctions on the Venezuelan government. This has strangled not only the government, but also the Venezuelan people. Maluta wants those sanctions to be lifted. One way to get sanctions lifted is to do what the US wants, which is to hold a free and fair election. Now, we know that this election on Sunday is not going to be free or fair, but it's happening.

Okay, so let's explore that. How is it that voters in Venezuela, a surrogate on the ballot. This surrogate forbehind Maria Corina Machado. Then he didn't expect when he banned her, when his government banned her from running, the opposition to be able to come around a new candidate, the opposition in Venezuela, is notoriously fractured. Then the government did not expect Maria Corina to be able to transfer her popularity to Edmundo González. They thought that they could control this election and that they could control this movement. It has really become much bigger than Maduro and the people in his camp expected.So he really underestimated them. Now he has a situation on his hands.He does. He really does. In response, the government of Nicolás Maduro has really escalated tactics to try and interfere with the opposition campaign. The government has arrested dozens of supporters and fined people who simply offer services to the campaign. We're talking of people who rent them a stage, rent them a truck, people who sell them food have been fined. The police have blocked roads to prevent Maria Corina from making it to her own rallies. efforts that Biden and other politicians have made to stop people from doing this. And multiple polls show that as much as a third of the country is interested in leaving if Maluro stays in power.The loss of an opposition leader who is promised to bring people back might result in yet another mass exodus.Exactly. I think that one thing that's really important to think about when you think about Leonela is that 7-8 million people have left the country. So many of those people are young people like Leonela. She has stayed. She has made a conscious decision. She left for economic reasons, but then she came back. If she leaves, it is representative of this last slice of the country that could fight to make change. Kind giving up and saying, I have to leave. I can't fight the fight anymore. I have to leave for myself in my own protection.Julie, thank you.Thank you.We'll be right back. Here's what else you should know today. On Thursday, California governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered officials in his state to begin dismantling thousands of homeless encampments, which have spread in recent years as the cost of housing in California has skyrocketed. It was the nation's most sweeping response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that gave governments greater authority to remove homeless people from their streets. His order could divide democratic leaders in the state, some of whom have already begun to clear encampments, while others have denounced Supreme Court decision as an opening for using inhumane measures to solve a complex crisis. And what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her debut on the world stage since her rapid ascension as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. Harris did not stray from President Biden on policy, but she struck a stronger tone on the plight of the Palestinians.We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.Declaring that, far too many innocent civilians had died in Gaza. A quick reminder to catch a new episode of The Interview right here tomorrow. This week, Lulu García-Navarro talks to Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttadjadj, about the Democratic Party in this moment. Today's episode was produced by Carlos Prieto, Claire Tenesketter, Olivia Nat, and Mujd Zady. It was edited by Liz O'Balen and Michael Benoît. Contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Lansberg of Wunderly. Special thanks to Francis Robles and Anatoly Kurmoniev. That's it for The Daily. I'm Sabrina Tavernousy. See you on Monday.

a surrogate on the ballot. This surrogate forbehind Maria Corina Machado. Then he didn't expect when he banned her, when his government banned her from running, the opposition to be able to come around a new candidate, the opposition in Venezuela, is notoriously fractured. Then the government did not expect Maria Corina to be able to transfer her popularity to Edmundo González. They thought that they could control this election and that they could control this movement. It has really become much bigger than Maduro and the people in his camp expected.So he really underestimated them. Now he has a situation on his hands.He does. He really does. In response, the government of Nicolás Maduro has really escalated tactics to try and interfere with the opposition campaign. The government has arrested dozens of supporters and fined people who simply offer services to the campaign. We're talking of people who rent them a stage, rent them a truck, people who sell them food have been fined. The police have blocked roads to prevent Maria Corina from making it to her own rallies. efforts that Biden and other politicians have made to stop people from doing this. And multiple polls show that as much as a third of the country is interested in leaving if Maluro stays in power.The loss of an opposition leader who is promised to bring people back might result in yet another mass exodus.Exactly. I think that one thing that's really important to think about when you think about Leonela is that 7-8 million people have left the country. So many of those people are young people like Leonela. She has stayed. She has made a conscious decision. She left for economic reasons, but then she came back. If she leaves, it is representative of this last slice of the country that could fight to make change. Kind giving up and saying, I have to leave. I can't fight the fight anymore. I have to leave for myself in my own protection.Julie, thank you.Thank you.We'll be right back. Here's what else you should know today. On Thursday, California governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered officials in his state to begin dismantling thousands of homeless encampments, which have spread in recent years as the cost of housing in California has skyrocketed. It was the nation's most sweeping response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that gave governments greater authority to remove homeless people from their streets. His order could divide democratic leaders in the state, some of whom have already begun to clear encampments, while others have denounced Supreme Court decision as an opening for using inhumane measures to solve a complex crisis. And what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her debut on the world stage since her rapid ascension as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. Harris did not stray from President Biden on policy, but she struck a stronger tone on the plight of the Palestinians.We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.Declaring that, far too many innocent civilians had died in Gaza. A quick reminder to catch a new episode of The Interview right here tomorrow. This week, Lulu García-Navarro talks to Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttadjadj, about the Democratic Party in this moment. Today's episode was produced by Carlos Prieto, Claire Tenesketter, Olivia Nat, and Mujd Zady. It was edited by Liz O'Balen and Michael Benoît. Contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Lansberg of Wunderly. Special thanks to Francis Robles and Anatoly Kurmoniev. That's it for The Daily. I'm Sabrina Tavernousy. See you on Monday.

behind Maria Corina Machado. Then he didn't expect when he banned her, when his government banned her from running, the opposition to be able to come around a new candidate, the opposition in Venezuela, is notoriously fractured. Then the government did not expect Maria Corina to be able to transfer her popularity to Edmundo González. They thought that they could control this election and that they could control this movement. It has really become much bigger than Maduro and the people in his camp expected.

So he really underestimated them. Now he has a situation on his hands.

He does. He really does. In response, the government of Nicolás Maduro has really escalated tactics to try and interfere with the opposition campaign. The government has arrested dozens of supporters and fined people who simply offer services to the campaign. We're talking of people who rent them a stage, rent them a truck, people who sell them food have been fined. The police have blocked roads to prevent Maria Corina from making it to her own rallies. efforts that Biden and other politicians have made to stop people from doing this. And multiple polls show that as much as a third of the country is interested in leaving if Maluro stays in power.The loss of an opposition leader who is promised to bring people back might result in yet another mass exodus.Exactly. I think that one thing that's really important to think about when you think about Leonela is that 7-8 million people have left the country. So many of those people are young people like Leonela. She has stayed. She has made a conscious decision. She left for economic reasons, but then she came back. If she leaves, it is representative of this last slice of the country that could fight to make change. Kind giving up and saying, I have to leave. I can't fight the fight anymore. I have to leave for myself in my own protection.Julie, thank you.Thank you.We'll be right back. Here's what else you should know today. On Thursday, California governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered officials in his state to begin dismantling thousands of homeless encampments, which have spread in recent years as the cost of housing in California has skyrocketed. It was the nation's most sweeping response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that gave governments greater authority to remove homeless people from their streets. His order could divide democratic leaders in the state, some of whom have already begun to clear encampments, while others have denounced Supreme Court decision as an opening for using inhumane measures to solve a complex crisis. And what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her debut on the world stage since her rapid ascension as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. Harris did not stray from President Biden on policy, but she struck a stronger tone on the plight of the Palestinians.We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.Declaring that, far too many innocent civilians had died in Gaza. A quick reminder to catch a new episode of The Interview right here tomorrow. This week, Lulu García-Navarro talks to Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttadjadj, about the Democratic Party in this moment. Today's episode was produced by Carlos Prieto, Claire Tenesketter, Olivia Nat, and Mujd Zady. It was edited by Liz O'Balen and Michael Benoît. Contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Lansberg of Wunderly. Special thanks to Francis Robles and Anatoly Kurmoniev. That's it for The Daily. I'm Sabrina Tavernousy. See you on Monday.

efforts that Biden and other politicians have made to stop people from doing this. And multiple polls show that as much as a third of the country is interested in leaving if Maluro stays in power.

The loss of an opposition leader who is promised to bring people back might result in yet another mass exodus.

Exactly. I think that one thing that's really important to think about when you think about Leonela is that 7-8 million people have left the country. So many of those people are young people like Leonela. She has stayed. She has made a conscious decision. She left for economic reasons, but then she came back. If she leaves, it is representative of this last slice of the country that could fight to make change. Kind giving up and saying, I have to leave. I can't fight the fight anymore. I have to leave for myself in my own protection.

Julie, thank you.

Thank you.

We'll be right back. Here's what else you should know today. On Thursday, California governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered officials in his state to begin dismantling thousands of homeless encampments, which have spread in recent years as the cost of housing in California has skyrocketed. It was the nation's most sweeping response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that gave governments greater authority to remove homeless people from their streets. His order could divide democratic leaders in the state, some of whom have already begun to clear encampments, while others have denounced Supreme Court decision as an opening for using inhumane measures to solve a complex crisis. And what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her debut on the world stage since her rapid ascension as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. Harris did not stray from President Biden on policy, but she struck a stronger tone on the plight of the Palestinians.

We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent.

Declaring that, far too many innocent civilians had died in Gaza. A quick reminder to catch a new episode of The Interview right here tomorrow. This week, Lulu García-Navarro talks to Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttadjadj, about the Democratic Party in this moment. Today's episode was produced by Carlos Prieto, Claire Tenesketter, Olivia Nat, and Mujd Zady. It was edited by Liz O'Balen and Michael Benoît. Contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Lansberg of Wunderly. Special thanks to Francis Robles and Anatoly Kurmoniev. That's it for The Daily. I'm Sabrina Tavernousy. See you on Monday.