Posted August 19, 2024 6:33pm EDT

Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Atlanta on Saturday to protest how Venezuela’s authoritarian government is handling its July presidential election. 

Demonstrators across the world gathered this weekend to show support for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who challenged Nicolas Maduro in the election. The Maduro administration says it won the election, but independent vote counts by opponents show otherwise. 

“We’re here because we hope everyone around the world will join us in our quest for freedom,” said Manuel Rodriguez. He’s from Venezuela and has lived in Atlanta for six years. “The people of Venezuela have spoken, and we don’t want Nicolas Maduro as president anymore. It’s as simple as that.” 

Woodruff Park filled with demonstrators, many with the bright yellow, blue and red Venezuelan flag draped over their shoulders or emblazoned on baseball caps. Hundreds chanted, “Libertad!” between speakers calling for a free Venezuela over a megaphone.

“People in my country don’t even have the possibility to get healthcare, “Rodriguez said. “Why is that possible in the country with the largest oil reserves in the world?”

He said Venezuelans have fled to the U.S. in large numbers in recent years because of economic and social issues paired with the threat of political oppression for those who did not support the Maduro administration. 

These things prompted former President Donald Trump to pause deporting some Venezuelans because of the political unrest. 

The Biden administration then granted those fleeing Venezuela to the U.S. temporary protected status, protecting Venezuelans already in the U.S. from deportation or being detained by the Department of Homeland Security based on whether or not they have documentation outside of the temporary protected status. 

Some protesters in downtown Atlanta held body-length pieces of paper with vote tallies that show Urrutia won more votes than Maduro. Many other protesters held signs with various calls for democracy and help for the country.

Erika Gomez had one of them.

“Imagine a country where you go to presidential elections and the government declares itself the winner, but the Electoral College refuses to publish results,” she said. “That’s what’s happening in Venezuela right now.

Gomez is from Venezuela and has lived in Atlanta for the last 20 years. She said the Maduro administration’s rejection of a democratic voting process is just the latest in a long line of decisions that have hurt her home country. 

“Extreme ways of government are not foreign to any country and no country is exempt from experiencing something like that,” she said. “Democracy is very fragile everywhere.”

A patient filed a lawsuit against Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, over allegations the hospital lost part of his skull that was removed during surgery.

Fernando Cluster said he underwent brain surgery at Emory University Hospital in Midtown in September 2022 after suffering a stroke, according to Atlanta News First.

The surgery required the removal of a piece of Cluster’s skull called the bone flap, the outlet reported.

Cluster returned to the hospital for a follow-up surgery scheduled for November 2022 to reattach the bone flap but, the lawsuit claims, the hospital was unable to locate his bone flap when he arrived.

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“‘There were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification’ and therefore, Emory ‘could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster,’” the lawsuit reads, according to the report.

Since the hospital allegedly failed to find Cluster’s bone flap, a synthetic replacement had to be made, which forced him to stay in the hospital for an additional 12 days while the synthetic replacement was made, according to the lawsuit.

The synthetic replacement became infected, which required Cluster to undergo another surgery, the lawsuit said.

Cluster was charged for the additional surgeries and time he had to stay in the hospital. He claims he incurred $146,000 in medical expenses after his treatment.

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Fernando Cluster said he incurred $146,000 in medical expenses after his treatment. (Getty Images)

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The lawsuit accuses Emory of negligence and said the hospital “failed to exercise ordinary and reasonable care,” which led to injury. The lawsuit also said Cluster suffered “physical and emotional pain” and has been unable to work following the error.

Cluster is seeking compensation for injuries and damages.

The hospital said it would not comment on pending litigation, but said “Emory Healthcare is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients and those we serve in our communities,” according to Atlanta News First.