Protests in Venezuela after controversial Maduro victory - one dead
In the capital, Caracas, thousands took to the streets chanting "Freedom, freedom!" and "This government will fall." Some tore down campaign posters of Maduro and set them ablaze. Protests also erupted in areas previously known as strongholds of support for Maduro and his socialist government.
In some areas, shots were heard. According to journalists from the news agency AFP, security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters, who then threw stones in response. At least two statues of Hugo Chávez, Maduro's predecessor widely revered as a leftist revolutionary hero, were reportedly toppled by protesters.
"We closed our businesses to join the protest. We were disappointed," said 21-year-old Carolina Rojas in Caracas. "The results don't reflect reality. We voted against Nicolás (Maduro)," she added. Forty-year-old David called the election "rigged." "They call in the army, but we must protest," he emphasized, as numerous protesters banged pots and pans to express their discontent.
Despite opposition allegations of fraud and international criticism, the largely pro-government electoral authority declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election on Sunday. The country's population had re-elected the incumbent president for the period 2025-2031, said Elvis Amoroso, head of the national electoral council. Maduro received 51.2% of the votes, while the leading opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, received 44.2%.
However, the opposition also claimed victory. Opposition leader María Corina Machado said an audit of the available electoral records clearly showed that the next president would be "Edmundo González Urrutia," who had replaced her after she was excluded by Maduro-aligned courts. She claimed a "mathematically irreversible" lead for González Urrutia, who received 6.27 million votes, while Maduro got only 2.75 million.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan public prosecutor's office accused Machado of involvement in an alleged hacking attack on the electoral system to "manipulate" the presidential election results.
Maduro's proclamation as the winner of the presidential election sparked international doubt and protests. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for "full transparency" and the publication of vote counts by polling station, according to his spokesman. Similar sentiments were expressed by EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
The Organization of American States, based in Washington, called an emergency meeting for Wednesday at the request of Argentina and other countries that question the official election results. Venezuela then announced it would withdraw its diplomatic staff from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic. The country also suspended flights to and from Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Maduro had run for a third six-year term in Sunday's election. The 61-year-old self-proclaimed Marxist is unpopular among many voters due to the country's economic crisis. His power base in Venezuela relies on the military and police. Before the vote, the president repeatedly stated that he would not relinquish power in the event of defeat. He had threatened, among other things, a "bloodbath" in the event of a loss about two weeks ago.
Maduro's 2018 election was not recognized by most Western countries, leading to sanctions against Venezuela. The president is accused of suppressing the opposition in the country.
The protest against Maduro's victory in the presidential election continued to rage in Caracas, with protesters joining the streets and voicing their dissent. Carolina Rojas, a business owner, expressed her disappointment with the election results and joined the protest in Caracas.
