Both Venezuela's strongman Nicolas Maduro and the opposition claim victory in the election, while the US expresses 'serious concerns'
Caracas, Venezuela—
Both Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his political opponent claimed victory in Monday's election, which was marred by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities.
With 80% of votes counted, Maduro secured over 51% of the vote, defeating Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who garnered more than 44%, according to a statement by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The United States and several global leaders expressed skepticism about the official results that declared a victory for the strongman leader.
Claims of election irregularities emerged on Sunday evening as the votes were being counted. These included opposition witnesses being denied access to the CNE headquarters during the vote count and allegations that the CNE halted data transmission from local polling stations to their central location to prevent further votes from being processed.
The CNE has faced criticism from some international bodies for its lack of impartiality. Last year, the US Department of State raised concerns about “ongoing efforts to remake the composition” of the body. In February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution accusing the Maduro regime of making changes to the CNE “designed to hamper the electoral process and quash any prospect of a return to democracy.”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado stated in a news conference that their records showed their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, had received 70% of the vote compared to Maduro’s 30%. “We won, and everyone knows it,” Machado asserted, pledging that the opposition would “defend the truth.” She emphasized that the entire international community was aware of what happened in Venezuela and how people voted for change.
Gonzalez, also present at the news conference, claimed that election rules had been violated.
If Maduro takes office, it will be his third consecutive six-year term, continuing the “Chavismo” ideology named after his predecessor Hugo Chávez. Chávez ruled Venezuela for 14 years until his death in 2013, implementing policies focused on nationalization and redistributing the nation’s oil wealth to marginalized communities while protecting Venezuelan sovereignty against “imperialist” powers.
However, in recent years, Venezuela has experienced the world’s worst peacetime economic crash. Maduro blames foreign sanctions for the downturn, stating that Venezuela is a victim of an “economic war.” The opposition, galvanized this election cycle and posing the most significant threat to Maduro’s power in years, promised to restore democracy and rebuild the economy if victorious. However, there were concerns about the fairness of the contest, as Maduro’s government controls all public institutions, including the Supreme Court, which could be the final arbiter on any electoral fraud claims.
The government has also been accused of rigging votes in the past, which it denies. A loss in the election could have serious consequences for Maduro, who faces drug trafficking and corruption charges in the US and is under investigation for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Relinquishing control could lead to imprisonment.
Attempts to skew the election in Maduro’s favor began well before the polling stations opened on Sunday. According to a report by Laboratorio de Paz released Monday, at least 71 people were arbitrarily detained during the election campaign, most for providing services to the opposition. The government also created significant impediments for the millions of Venezuelans abroad to vote, with restrictive passport and residency requirements. Only 69,211 Venezuelans living abroad are eligible to vote in this year’s election, according to CNE data.
Election observation was limited, as Venezuela withdrew its invitation to EU observers. A small mission from the Carter Center conducted observations and is expected to release its findings soon. However, the center noted it could not comprehensively observe election day processes due to the mission’s relatively small size.
Tears and celebrations:
Voters turned out in large numbers, with many expressing their intention to leave the country if Maduro won, citing violent repression and economic collapse under his rule.
Maduro’s two terms have seen unprecedented levels of poverty and emigration, with around 8 million Venezuelans fleeing the country amid shortages of essential goods and soaring inflation.
Once the fifth-largest economy in Latin America, Venezuela’s economy has now shrunk to the size of a medium-sized city, smaller than Milwaukee, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Maduro attributes the economic crisis to sanctions imposed by the US and other Western countries on his regime.
Following the announcement of the election results, Maduro hailed it as a “triumph of peace, stability, republican ideals, and the ideas of equality.”
“They could not overcome the sanctions, they could not overcome the aggressions, the threats, they could not now and will never be able to overcome the dignity of the people of Venezuela,” he declared during his public speech, addressing his political opponents.
The announcement was met with mixed emotions in the capital, Caracas. Maduro supporters celebrated outside the president’s official residence, while opposition supporters were seen crying and hugging on the streets.
Serious Concerns:
After the CNE announced Maduro’s win, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed "serious concerns" that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people. He emphasized the importance of counting votes fairly and transparently, and urged the CNE to publish its vote tabulations.
EU top diplomat Josep Borrell Fontelles stated that the will of the Venezuelan people "must be respected." He stressed the necessity of ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed vote counting and access to voting records at polling stations.
The United Kingdom updated its travel advice on Monday, advising British citizens in Venezuela to "stay at home if possible." The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) declared, "The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the current administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro."
The opposition’s accusations may jeopardize Venezuela's efforts to return to the international stage after Maduro pledged last year to hold free and fair elections in US-brokered talks, in exchange for sanctions relief.
The results elicited mixed reactions across the region. The presidents of Peru, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Uruguay either denounced or cast doubt on the outcome, with several stating they would not recognize Maduro’s victory. Prior to the election, many Latin American leaders had urged Maduro to commit to stepping down if he lost.
However, some of Venezuela’s allies congratulated Maduro on his win, including the presidents of Bolivia, Honduras, and Cuba.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin also extended his congratulations to Maduro on his re-election.
“Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership. I am confident that your activities as head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all directions,” Putin said, according to a statement from the Kremlin posted on its Telegram channel.
China’s Foreign Ministry also congratulated Maduro on Monday. “China attaches great importance to the development of China-Venezuela relations and is willing to work with Venezuela to continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership and better benefit the people of the two countries,” spokesperson Lin Jian said at the ministry’s daily briefing.
Earlier on Sunday night, a government statement shared online by the Venezuelan foreign minister condemned what it called foreign “intervention” against the election, pointing to several countries that had criticized the results, including Argentina, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru.
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