Chaos In Venezuela: Controversy Erupts Over Presidential Election Results

Both Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his political opponent claimed victory in the country’s election on Monday, a vote that was marked by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities.

With 80% of votes counted, Maduro secured more than 51% of the vote, beating the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who garnered over 44%, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The United States and multiple global leaders voiced skepticism about the official results, which handed the presidential election victory to the strongman leader.

Claims of election irregularities started to emerge on Sunday evening as the votes were being counted. Allegations included opposition witnesses being denied access to the CNE headquarters and the CNE allegedly halting the transmission of data from local polling stations to prevent more votes from being processed.

The CNE has faced criticism from some international bodies for its lack of impartiality. The US Department of State raised concerns last year about “ongoing efforts to remake the composition” of the body, while the European Parliament accused the Maduro regime of making changes to the CNE to “hamper the electoral process and quash any prospect of a return to democracy.”

CNN has reached out to the CNE, which has not responded to the opposition’s allegations.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, at a news conference, claimed their candidate Edmundo González Urrutia had received 70% of the vote against Maduro’s 30%. “We won, and everyone knows it,” Machado said, adding that the opposition would “defend the truth.”

“The entire international community knows what happened in Venezuela and how people voted for change,” she said. González, also at the news conference, alleged that election rules had been violated.

If Maduro takes office, it will be his third consecutive six-year term, continuing the “Chavismo” ideology named after his predecessor Hugo Chávez. Chávez ruled Venezuela for 14 years until his death in 2013, focusing on nationalization and the redistribution of the nation’s oil wealth.

In recent years, Venezuela has experienced one of the worst peacetime economic crashes in history. Maduro has blamed foreign sanctions for the downturn, saying Venezuela is a victim of an “economic war.”

The opposition, galvanized this election cycle and posing the most significant threat to Maduro’s power in years, had promised to restore Venezuela’s democracy and rebuild the economy if it won. However, concerns were mounting that the opposition would not see a fair contest, as Maduro’s government controls all public institutions, including the Supreme Court, which could arbitrate any electoral fraud claims.

The government has been accused of rigging votes in the past, which it denied. A loss in the election could have devastating consequences for Maduro, who faces drug trafficking and corruption charges in the US and is under investigation for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Losing control could mean prison for Maduro.

Attempts to skew the election in Maduro’s favor started well before Sunday’s polling stations opened. According to a report by Laboratorio de Paz released Monday, at least 71 people were arbitrarily detained during the election campaign, most after providing some service to the opposition.

The government also created significant impediments for the millions of Venezuelans abroad to vote, including unattainable passport and residency requirements. Only 69,211 Venezuelans living abroad were eligible to vote in this year’s poll, according to the CNE.

A very limited group of election observers were allowed to monitor the vote. Venezuela withdrew its invitation to EU observers, allowing only a small mission from the Carter Center, which said it could not conduct comprehensive observation of election day processes due to its size.

Voters turned out in droves, many saying they would leave the country if Maduro won, citing violent repression and economic collapse under his rule. Maduro has overseen unprecedented levels of poverty and emigration during his two terms – some 8 million Venezuelans have fled amid shortages of vital goods and soaring inflation. Once the fifth-largest economy in Latin America, Venezuela’s economy has shrunk drastically.

Maduro has blamed the economic meltdown on sanctions imposed by the US and other Western countries. After the results were announced, Maduro called it a “triumph of peace, stability, republican ideals, and the ideas of equality.”

“They could not overcome the sanctions, the aggressions, the threats. They could not now and will never be able to overcome the dignity of the people of Venezuela,” he said during his public speech, referring to his political opponents.

The results announced by the election authorities were met with mixed emotions in the capital, Caracas, with Maduro supporters celebrating outside the president’s official residence. Meanwhile, opposition supporters were seen crying and hugging on the streets.

After the CNE announced Maduro’s win, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.” He added that it was “critical” for votes to be counted fairly and transparently, calling for the CNE to publish its vote tabulations.

EU top diplomat Josep Borrell Fontelles said the will of the Venezuelan people “must be respected.” He emphasized that ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital.

The United Kingdom updated its travel advice on Monday, advising British citizens in Venezuela to “stay at home if possible.” The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated, “The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the current administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro.”

The opposition’s accusations may cast doubt on Venezuela returning to the international stage after Maduro pledged last year to hold free and fair elections in US-brokered talks in exchange for sanctions relief.

The results were met with mixed reactions across the region. The presidents of Peru, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Uruguay all either denounced or cast doubt on the results, with several saying they would not recognize Maduro’s win. Ahead of the election, many Latin American leaders had urged Maduro to commit to stepping down if he lost.

Some of Venezuela’s partners congratulated Maduro on his win, including the presidents of Bolivia, Honduras, and Cuba. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Maduro on his re-election, expressing confidence in the continued development of Russian-Venezuelan relations. China’s Foreign Ministry also congratulated Maduro, with spokesperson Lin Jian stating that China is willing to work with Venezuela to continuously enrich their strategic partnership.

Earlier Sunday night, a government statement shared online by the Venezuelan foreign minister decried foreign “intervention” against the election, pointing fingers at countries that had criticized the results, including Argentina, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru.