President Nicolás Maduro has secured victory in Venezuela’s presidential election, as announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) with 80% of votes counted. Maduro received 51.20% of the vote, while his main rival trailed with 44.02%. However, the Venezuelan opposition has raised allegations of widespread fraud and vowed to challenge the result.
The opposition had united behind candidate Edmundo González in a bid to unseat Maduro after his 11-year tenure. Despite initial polls favoring González, Maduro emerged victorious, declaring his re-election a “triumph of peace and stability” in a speech to supporters in Caracas.
The US Secretary of State expressed skepticism over the election results, stating concerns that they may not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. In contrast, Cuba, a close ally of Maduro’s government, hailed the victory as a win for the Revolution.
The opposition had deployed thousands of witnesses to polling stations to monitor the vote count independently. However, reports emerged that witnesses were forced to leave polling stations, raising further doubts about the transparency of the election process.
Venezuelan voters expressed a desire for change after 25 years of socialist rule under the PSUV party, led first by the late President Hugo Chávez and then by Maduro. The 2018 election was marred by allegations of irregularities, and fears of a similar outcome loomed over this election.
Despite concerns, the opposition remained hopeful that a strong voter turnout would prevent any attempts to manipulate the results. Voting in Venezuela is electronic, with results sent to the CNE headquarters and paper receipts stored for verification. However, the opposition claimed limited access to these receipts, hindering their ability to monitor the official results.
As the controversy surrounding the election continues to unfold, the Venezuelan people await the final outcome of a closely contested and contentious presidential race.
