Controversial election result - Maduro and Opposition claim electoral victory in Venezuela
In Venezuela, both Nicolás Maduro and the opposition claim victory in the Presidential election. The National Electoral Council (CNE) in the South American crisis-stricken country declared Maduro as the winner. The opposition did not acknowledge the official result and announced that Venezuela has a new president, whose name is Edmundo González Urrutia. Doubts about the official election result were raised both domestically and internationally.
Before the Sunday election, several surveys predicted that voters would opt for a power change in Venezuela. However, observers did not expect the election to be free and fair prior to the voting. According to official reports, Maduro obtained 51.2% of the votes, while González received 44.2%. The opposition presented different results.
"The whole world knows what happened today"
Opposition leader María Corina Machado stated that González obtained 70% of the votes, and Maduro only 30%. She referred to exit polls and four independent tallies, as well as the actual vote counting results. "This is the election victory with the largest margin in history," she said.
The 56-year-old industrial engineer was a driving force behind González's candidacy. She was banned from holding public office for 15 years due to alleged irregularities during her tenure as a legislator. The 74-year-old diplomat González was previously virtually unknown in the country. "Venezuelans and the whole world know what happened today," he said.
Leading politicians in the USA and Latin American countries expressed doubts 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.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric wrote on the X platform: "We have taken the CNE-announced results with great skepticism."
His Guatemalan counterpart, Bernardo Árevalo, wrote: "We have received the CNE-announced results with great doubt."
However, leaders from the leftist and anti-Western camp, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Honduras, congratulated Maduro. China also extended congratulations. "China and Venezuela are good friends and partners who support each other," said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Long-term political crisis
With the Sunday election, the long-standing political crisis in the oil-rich South American country could potentially worsen further. Maduro's re-election in 2018 was not recognized by many countries. The opposition parliament president Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president in 2019 but failed to gain control of the country – mainly due to the military's support for Maduro.
Maduro, a former union leader and bus driver, took office in 2013 as Hugo Chávez's successor, who had died of cancer. Maduro deliberately scheduled the election on Chávez's 70th birthday. "I am a man of peace and dialogue," Maduro said after the official results were announced.
Under Maduro, the situation in the once wealthy country with its vast oil reserves deteriorated rapidly. Venezuela suffers from mismanagement, corruption, and sanctions. More than 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. More than seven million people have left Venezuela in recent years due to poverty and violence. Power outages are frequent. Gas, medicines, and gasoline are scarce.
- Despite both Nicolás Maduro and the opposition claiming victory in the presidential election in Venezuela, the opposition did not acknowledge the official result declared by the National Electoral Council and announced Edmundo González Urrutia as the new president.
- The election held on Sunday in Venezuela was expected to result in a power change, but doubts about the official election result were raised due to concerns about its fairness.
- According to Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader, Edmundo González obtained 70% of the votes, and Maduro only 30%, based on exit polls, independent tallies, and actual vote counting results.
- leaders from the USA and Latin American countries expressed doubts about the official election result, with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that they had serious concerns that the announced result did not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.
- In contrast, leaders from leftist and anti-Western countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Honduras congratulated Maduro on his victory, with China also extending its congratulations.
- The long-term political crisis in Venezuela, which started with the controversial re-election of Maduro in 2018 and the declaration of Juan Guaidó as interim president in 2019, may worsen further due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the election result.
