Controversial election result - Maduro and opposition claim election victory in Venezuela
After the presidential election in the crisis-stricken state of Venezuela, both the authoritarian Nicolás Maduro and the opposition have claimed victory. The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared incumbent Maduro the winner. The opposition did not recognize the official result and claimed victory for their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. Doubts about the official election result quickly arose abroad as well.
"I want peace, love, and understanding," Maduro said to his supporters. He announced a dialogue with different sectors to achieve a national consensus. Several polls before Sunday's election had predicted a victory for the opposition. However, observers had already doubted that the election would be free and fair before the vote. According to official figures, Maduro received 51.2 percent of the votes and González 44.2 percent.
"The whole world knows what happened"
Opposition leader María Corina Machado, on the other hand, said that González had received 70 percent and Maduro only 30 percent of the votes. She based this on post-election polls, four independent projections, and the actual counting results. "This is the election victory with the largest margin in history," she said.
The 56-year-old was considered the driving force behind González's candidacy. She was banned from holding public office for 15 years due to alleged irregularities during her time as a member of parliament. The 74-year-old diplomat González was largely unknown in the country. "The Venezuelans and the whole world know what happened today," he said. "We will continue our fight and will not rest until the will of the Venezuelan people is respected."
Doubt about the official election result
Leading politicians in the USA and Latin American countries expressed doubt about the official election result. "We have serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "It is crucial that every vote is counted fairly and transparently. The international community is watching this closely and will act accordingly."
The British government also expressed concern about allegations of irregularities in the election. "We call for a swift and transparent publication of detailed results to ensure they reflect the will of the Venezuelan people," the Foreign Office wrote on the X platform.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric wrote: "The Maduro regime must understand that the results it publishes are hard to believe."
On the other hand, state leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Honduras, who are associated with the left and anti-Western camp, congratulated Maduro. China also congratulated him. "China and Venezuela are good friends and partners who support each other," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his election victory. "The Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership. I am convinced that your actions at the head of the state will also further promote the development in all directions," it said in a telegram published by the Kremlin.
Iran also sent congratulations to Caracas. Tehran will continue to support the election winner and his government and hopes for an expansion of bilateral relations, wrote Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on X.
Years of decline
The re-election of Maduro is likely to exacerbate the long-standing political crisis in the oil-rich South American country. Even his re-election in 2018 was not recognized by many countries internationally. The then opposition leader and parliamentary president, Juan Guaidó, declared himself interim president in 2019 but failed to gain traction in the country, largely due to the military's support for Maduro.
Maduro, a former union leader and bus driver, took over from the charismatic President Hugo Chávez in 2013 after Chávez died of cancer at the age of 59. Under Maduro, the situation in the once-wealthy country with its vast oil reserves has deteriorated rapidly.
Venezuela is grappling with mismanagement, corruption, and sanctions. More than 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. According to UN figures, more than seven million people have left the country in recent years due to poverty and violence.
"Despite the opposition's claims of a landslide victory for Edmundo González Urrutia with 70% of the votes, according to Maria Corina Machado, the National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro as the winner with 51.2% of the votes,"
"The international community, including the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the British government, expressed doubts about the official election result, citing concerns of irregularities and lack of transparency in the election process."
