Nicolas Maduro has secured a third term as the President of Venezuela, winning 51.2% of the votes according to the country’s electoral authority. The election results as announced by the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) showed Maduro with 51.2% of the vote narrowly defeating opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who allegedly secured 44.2%. These results have been hotly contested by the opposition, who claim a landslide victory with 70% of the vote.
Also Read: Germany Bans Islamic Organization for Alleged Links to Iran and Hezbollah
Nicolas Maduro has been in power since 2013, following the death of his mentor, Hugo Chavez. Maduro’s leadership has been characterized by a deepening economic crisis and allegations of authoritarianism.
Despite these challenges Maduro managed to secure a third six-year term, winning 51.2% of the votes cast on Sunday.
Elvis Amoroso, the president of the CNE electoral body announced the results, which showed Maduro leading with a margin over his main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
According to Amoroso, Gonzalez received 44.2% of the votes although independent polls suggested a different outcome with many indicating a strong lead for Gonzalez.
According to the CNE, Nicolás Maduro won 51.2% of the vote. Edmundo González Urrutia representing the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) reportedly received 44.2%.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado announced that their internal data showed González Urrutia winning with 70% of the vote.
The opposition accused the Maduro government of electoral fraud citing irregularities during the voting process.
Nicolas Maduro declared his victory as a triumph of peace, stability and republican ideals. He dismissed allegations of fraud and claimed the election reflected the people’s will against foreign aggression.
Opposition witnesses were allegedly denied access to CNE headquarters during vote counting. The CNE was accused of halting data transmission from polling stations to central servers.
The Venezuelan government has faced accusations of vote-rigging in previous elections, which it has consistently denied.
Laboratorio de Paz reported at least 71 arbitrary detentions during the election mostly targeting opposition supporters. Several online media outlets critical of the government were blocked in the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed serious concerns about the election’s fairness, stating that the announced results did not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.
The US called for transparent vote counting and said the CNE to release detailed tabulations.
Also Read: Supreme Court Blocks Kanwar Yatra Directive for Eateries in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
Countries such as Chile, Peru and Uruguay expressed doubts about the election’s legitimacy and refused to recognize Maduro’s victory. Guatemala’s president mentioned having many doubts about the results.
Some of Venezuela’s allies including Bolivia, Honduras and Cuba congratulated Maduro on his third consecutive term.
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate has expressed skepticism about the election results.
Gonzalez, who replaced popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on the ticket and was initially leading in the polls and had garnered support from voters seeking change.
In a statement on social media Gonzalez urged supporters to remain vigilant at polling stations. He claimed that the opposition had evidence of their victory, citing exit polls and independent tallies that suggested they had received over 60% of the votes.
Venezuela faces a economic crisis with an 80% drop in GDP over a decade. Over seven million Venezuelans have emigrated due to economic hardship and basic services like healthcare and education are in disrepair.
The CNE did not release official tallies from all 30,000 polling stations limiting the opposition’s ability to contest the results.
Also Read: South China Sea: China and Philippines Reach Tentative Deal
