The chant “Freedom!” resonates deeply with millions of Venezuelans in 2024. At opposition rallies, it is shouted with tears, anger, and hopeful smiles. Holding Venezuelan flags, their children, or wearing political T-shirts, these cries for “libertad” highlight the urgent desires and fears of the populace.

As the July 28 presidential election approaches, the opposition’s events have been marked by deafening chants of “Freedom!” particularly evident during a massive rally in Barinas, the home state of the late President Hugo Chávez. The rally saw diverse participation from students, state employees, retirees, agriculture workers, and business owners, all rallying behind Edmundo González Urrutia, the main challenger to President Nicolás Maduro’s bid for a third term.

For many Venezuelans, the call for freedom encompasses various forms of liberation from the 25-year rule of socialist governments. This includes freedom from economic hardships, political repression, and the right to criticize the government without fear. Virginia Linares, 41, expressed her longing for economic freedom, tearfully noting that inadequate wages overshadow people’s lives and dreams. Public employees earn a monthly minimum wage of about $3.60 plus $130 in bonuses, while private-sector workers average $210 a month—insufficient for the basic basket of goods costing around $380.

Linares, who lost her beauty supply store in 2017 due to the enduring crisis under Maduro’s 11-year presidency, now runs her business online. Her worries about the country’s economic future have intensified as her 17-year-old son contemplates his future.

The upcoming election represents the most significant challenge for Venezuela’s ruling party since Chávez came to power in 1999. Despite wanting to maintain control, the party’s base, even in its stronghold of Barinas, is divided and disenchanted by the ongoing crisis. The opposition’s victory in Barinas in recent years has energized their supporters nationwide.

Chávez, who became president in 1998, had promised to uplift Venezuela’s poorest using the country’s oil wealth, which generated about $981 billion between 1999 and 2011. However, corruption, declining oil production, and flawed economic policies led to a crisis that became evident in 2012. Before his death in 2013, Chávez appointed Maduro as his successor.

Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela has countered opposition by barring rivals and portraying them as elitists allied with foreign powers. This tactic continued with a court ruling that blocked opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s candidacy, despite her overwhelming primary win. She now supports González, a former ambassador who has never held public office.

At rallies, supporters vow to vote for González but see Machado as their true leader. The country’s crisis has driven over 7.7 million people to migrate. González has promised to create conditions for their return, asking rally attendees to raise their hands if they had relatives who migrated—many hands went up.

Miguel Herrera, a school handyman, fears his teenage daughters might also migrate if Maduro is re-elected. His chants for freedom represent his hope for a future where his daughters can choose to stay in Venezuela and have access to quality public services. Having previously voted for Maduro, Herrera now believes in the need for change, hoping the nation will follow Barinas’ lead in electing González for a brighter future.