Following the opposition’s declaration of victory in Sunday’s presidential election, the government—which had previously proclaimed President Nicolás Maduro the victor—set the stage for conflict.
In his initial comments, opposition candidate Edmundo González asserted, “The Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened.”
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado claimed that González’s victory margin was “overwhelming,” based on voting data from campaign representatives monitoring approximately 40% of ballot boxes across the country, AP reported.
The National Electoral Council, which is dominated by Maduro loyalists, initially reported that Maduro won 51% of the vote compared to 44% for González.
However, the Council did not disclose the results from each of the 30,000 polling stations nationwide, only promising to release them in the “coming hours,” which has hindered efforts to verify the results.
Meanwhile, foreign leaders have refrained from recognizing the election results.
How the world reacted to Maduro’s win?
Leftist leader and Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed skepticism calling the results —”hard to believe”. “We won’t recognize any result that is not verifiable.”
“We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Japan.
“Every vote must be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that the electoral authorities publish the detailed tabulation of votes,” Blinken said.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves rejected results declaring incumbent Nicolas Maduro the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, calling them “fraudulent.”
“The government of Costa Rica rejects categorically the proclamation of Nicolas Maduro as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which we consider fraudulent,” Chaves said in a post on X.
Six hours after the polls were supposed to close, the results of the election were not yet announced, which raised serious questions about internal government disagreement, particularly in light of Maduro’s opponents’ early-evening claims of triumph. Upon his eventual appearance to celebrate the outcome, Maduro accused foreign adversaries that he did not name of trying to hack the voting system.
Nicolás Maduro: who is he?
Nicolás Maduro, a self-declared Marxist and Christian, was born in Caracas. He was a young man who led the Caracas metro workers’ union and went to communist Cuba in the 1980s for political education, according to AFP.
Nicolás Maduro was initially elected as Hugo Chávez’s personal choice, however, there were dissenting opinions in the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). In 2013, following Chávez’s demise from cancer, Maduro barely prevailed in his first election. Since then, as circumstances for the typical Venezuelan have gotten worse, he has managed crisis after crisis, maintaining control with an iron grip and expanding his authority.
How is the Maduro government doing?
The nation is currently experiencing a severe economic crisis that has been made worse by an oil boom that collapsed as a result of falling crude prices globally. The crisis is marked by acute shortages and high inflation.
Threats against Maduro’s presidency have been several, including an attempted explosive drone strike in 2018 that wounded multiple soldiers. He has strengthened his hold on the legislature, courts, military, and other state institutions to endure international sanctions and the non-recognition of his 2018 reelection by numerous countries.
In order to keep Venezuela just barely afloat, Maduro has also maintained vital political and economic ties with China, Russia, and other dictatorial countries. He has continued Chávez’s anti-American rhetoric, accusing the US of trying to kill him and placing the blame on Western countries for the collapse of Venezuela’s once-thriving economy in an attempt to shift blame for the poor state of the country.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is presently looking into allegations of human rights breaches in Venezuela. Despite the current unrest in the nation, President Nicolás Maduro has proven to have a sharp grasp of realpolitik.
Venezuela used to have the most developed economy in Latin America and is home to the greatest proven oil reserves in the world. But after Maduro took over, it started to collapse. Mass emigration followed social turmoil as a result of plummeting oil prices, extensive shortages, and hyperinflation that reached over 130%.
By deciding to hold elections this year, he was able to obtain other concessions and an easing of US sanctions last year. But he eventually broke these promises, which is how the penalties were reimposed in April. Still, Washington permits oil giants like Repsol and Chevron to submit separate applications for permits to carry on with their operations in Venezuela.
(With inputs from agencies)