5 Alarming Facts: Controversy and Fraud Claims in Venezuela’s Presidential Election

Maduro and Gonzalez Both Claim Victory Amid Venezuela’s Presidential Election Doubts

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory in the presidential election, raising doubts about the official results that kept Maduro in power. The national electoral authority announced that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote, extending a quarter-century of socialist rule. Independent exit polls pointed to a big opposition win following enthusiastic shows of support for Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on the campaign trail. Gonzalez won 70%, according to Machado, who had been barred from holding public office in a decision she says is unfair.

Official Results Versus Exit Polls: A Discrepancy Emerges

It was not immediately clear what the opposition’s next move might be, and Gonzalez also said he was not calling for supporters to take to the streets or commit any acts of violence. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had serious concerns that the results announced by the electoral authority did not reflect the votes of the people. The opposition claims it acts as an arm of Maduro’s government. Caracas and Washington have had an adversarial relationship dating back to the era of left-wing populist Hugo Chavez. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said details from all polling stations should be presented to guarantee fully verifiable results.

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Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population, and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations, crowned by sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and others that have crippled an already struggling oil industry. Venezuela’s bonds and those of state oil firm PDVSA were quoted down between 1.5 and 5 cents on the dollar by traders on Monday. Argentina President Javier Milei called the official election result a fraud, while Costa Rica, Peru, and Chile rejected it. With 80% of votes counted, Maduro secured more than 51% of the vote, beating the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) candidate with more than 44% of the vote.

International Reactions and Calls for Transparent Election Verification

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his opponent, Edmundo González Urrutia, claimed victory in the country’s election on Monday, but accusations of fraud and counting irregularities emerged. The United States and global leaders voiced skepticism about the official results, handing the presidential election victory to the strongman. Claims of election irregularities began to emerge on Sunday evening as the votes were being counted, including opposition witnesses being denied access to the CNE headquarters and the CNE allegedly halting data being sent from local polling stations to their central location to prevent more votes from being processed.

The CNE has been criticized by some international bodies for its lack of impartiality. Opposition leader María Corina Machado said in a news conference that their own records showed their candidate Edmundo González Urrutia had received 70% of the vote against Maduro’s 30%. Chávez ruled Venezuela for 14 years until his death in 2013. His policies were dominated by nationalization and the redistribution of the nation’s huge oil wealth to the marginalized and poorest communities. However, the oil-rich nation has experienced the world’s worst peacetime economic crash in recent history, and Maduro blamed foreign sanctions against his regime on the downturn.

Opposition’s Promise of Democratic Restoration and Economic Rebuilding

The opposition promised to restore Venezuela’s democracy and rebuild the economy if it won. However, there have been mounting concerns that the opposition would not see a fair contest, as Maduro’s government controls all public institutions in Venezuela, including the Supreme Court, which could be the final arbiter on any claim of electoral fraud. A loss in the election could have devastating consequences for Maduro, who is facing drug trafficking and corruption charges in the US and is under investigation for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.