Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Declared Winner in Disputed Election

President Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, according to partial results from the National Electoral Council (CNE).

With 80% of ballots counted, Maduro has received 51.20% of the vote, while his main rival, Edmundo González, has 44.02%.

The opposition, however, has dismissed these results as fraudulent, claiming González won with 70% of the votes.

The opposition argues that their data, including exit polls and quick counts, showed González leading by 40 percentage points.

They had united behind González in hopes of unseating Maduro, who has been in power for 11 years. Despite concerns about potential fraud, the opposition believed their significant lead would prevent any manipulation by the Maduro administration.

International reactions have been critical. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chilean President Gabriel Boric have expressed doubts about the results, calling for greater transparency and independent verification.

Uruguay’s president also suggested the outcome was predetermined in Maduro’s favor.

Maduro’s allies have congratulated him, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel praising the result as a victory over manipulation. Maduro himself described the result as a “triumph of peace and stability” and mocked the opposition’s claims of fraud.

The election process in Venezuela involves electronic voting machines and paper receipts. However, the opposition reported difficulties in monitoring the paper receipts due to being barred from many polling stations.

This follows a pattern of disputed elections, including Maduro’s 2018 win, which was also widely criticized.