Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, but the opposition and several key regional neighbours quickly rejected the results.
The opposition coalition claimed victory by a large margin, despite concerns about political intimidation and potential fraud.
Pollsters had predicted that Maduro would lose but likely wouldn’t concede after more than a decade in power. Maduro was re-elected with 51.2% of the votes, while opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia received 44.2%, according to the electoral council (CNE), which is largely loyal to the president.
In a speech to his supporters at the presidential palace, Maduro said, “I am Nicolas Maduro Moros, the re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. There will be peace, stability, and justice. Peace and respect for the law.”
However, the opposition coalition insisted it had secured 70% of the vote, rejecting the CNE’s figures.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declared Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the new president-elect, calling the official result “another fraud.” Gonzalez Urrutia stated that their fight would continue until the true will of the Venezuelan people is reflected, while emphasizing there was no call for protests.
International reactions were mixed. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced the result as “fraudulent,” and Chile’s president found it “hard to believe.” Peru recalled its ambassador for consultation over the results. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns” about the fairness of the election, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Caracas to ensure “full transparency in the electoral process.” In contrast, Venezuela’s allies, including China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Bolivia, congratulated Maduro.
Independent polls had forecasted an end to 25 years of “Chavismo,” the movement founded by Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Since 2013, Maduro has led Venezuela, a once-wealthy petro-state that saw its GDP drop by 80% in a decade, prompting more than seven million of its 30 million citizens to emigrate.
He faces accusations of imprisoning critics and harassing the opposition in an increasingly authoritarian environment.
Gonzalez Urrutia replaced popular candidate Machado after authorities loyal to Maduro excluded her from the race.
Despite widespread fears of fraud, Machado urged voters to keep vigil at polling stations during the decisive hours of counting. Maduro had previously warned of a “bloodbath” if he lost.
Maduro relies on a loyal electoral apparatus, military leadership, and state institutions in a well-established system of political patronage.
On Friday, a Venezuelan NGO reported that Caracas held 305 political prisoners and had arrested 135 people with opposition links since January.
Voting was conducted using machines that print paper receipts, which are then placed into containers, while electronic votes are sent to a centralized CNE database.
The opposition deployed about 90,000 volunteer election monitors nationwide. CNE president Elvis Amoroso reported an “aggression against the data transmission system” that delayed the count, and Maduro mentioned a “hacking” of the voting system as he celebrated with supporters. Voter turnout was 59%, with about 17 million eligible voters in Venezuela.
Sunday’s election was part of a mediated deal reached last year between the government and opposition, leading the U.S. to temporarily ease sanctions imposed after Maduro’s 2018 re-election, which was widely rejected as a sham.
Sanctions were re-imposed after Maduro reneged on agreed conditions. Washington is interested in restoring stability in Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves but diminished production capacity.
Economic hardship in Venezuela has contributed to migration pressure on the U.S. southern border, with most Venezuelans living on just a few dollars a month and the country’s health care and education systems in disrepair.
While the government blames sanctions, observers also cite corruption and inefficiency.
Concerns over the election’s fairness were heightened when Caracas blocked several international observers at the last minute.
