Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Claims Victory Amid Election Controversy

Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his political opponent both claimed victory in the national elections, which were marred by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities.

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

The United States and multiple global leaders have voiced concerns about the official results, handing the presidential election victory to Maduro. As the votes were being counted, claims of election irregularities started emerging. Opposition witnesses alleged being denied access to the CNE headquarters during counting, and the CNE allegedly halted data being sent from local polling stations to their central location.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said their own records showed their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez 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.” Gonzalez alleged that rules had been violated during the election.

This election was anticipated to be the biggest challenge to Maduro’s 11-year rule. Voters had turned out in large numbers, with many saying they would leave the country if he won, pointing to violent repression and economic collapse under his rule.

After the results were announced, Maduro described it as a “triumph of peace, stability, republican ideals, and the ideas of equality.” He stated, “They could not overcome the sanctions, they could not overcome the aggressions, the threats, they could not now and will never be able to overcome the dignity of the people of Venezuela.”

The results were met with mixed emotions in Caracas, with Maduro supporters celebrating and opposition supporters seen crying and hugging on the streets. If Maduro takes office, it will be his third consecutive six-year term and the continuation of “Chavismo,” the left-wing populist ideology named after his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

Chavez ruled Venezuela for 14 years until his death in 2013, with policies focused on nationalization and redistribution of oil wealth. However, in recent years, Venezuela has experienced a severe economic crash. Maduro has blamed foreign sanctions for the downturn, while the opposition promised to restore democracy and rebuild the economy if it won.

Maduro has overseen unprecedented levels of poverty and emigration, with around 8 million Venezuelans fleeing the country amid shortages and inflation. Once the fifth-largest economy in Latin America, Venezuela’s economy has significantly shrunk, according to the International Monetary Fund.