Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, both declared victory in the election on Monday, July 29th. The United States and many democratic countries called on Venezuela to increase election transparency to ensure the results reflect the will of the people.
Despite multiple exit polls showing the opposition leading, Venezuelan authorities announced after midnight on Monday that Maduro won a third term with 51% of the vote.
Election authorities stated that opposition candidate Gonzalez received 44% of the votes.
Maduro, addressing supporters at the presidential palace, claimed his reelection as a victory for peace and stability. He mentioned signing a decree on Monday and holding a “great national dialogue.”
The United States and other Western countries have alleged electoral fraud in Maduro’s 2018 reelection campaign. Last week, Maduro warned of a “bloodbath” if he were to lose.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado stated that Gonzalez secured 70% of the vote, with several independent exit polls and rapid vote counts indicating a decisive victory.
In a joint statement with Gonzalez, she declared: “Venezuela has a new president-elect, and that is Edmundo Gonzalez. We have won, and the whole world knows it.”
Gonzalez emphasized that he does not want supporters to take to the streets or engage in any violent behavior.
Edison Research, a U.S. polling company, predicted Gonzalez would garner 65% of the vote, surpassing Maduro’s 31% vote share.
Local firm Meganalisis forecasted Gonzalez’s vote share at 65%, with Maduro slightly below at 14%.
Elvis Amoroso, the chair of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela, in a televised statement, revealed that around 80% of ballot boxes had been counted. He mentioned that the delay in announcing the results was due to attacks on the election data transmission system.
Amoroso stated that the CNE had requested the Justice Department investigate this “terrorist action” and added that the voter turnout was at 59%.
Although the National Electoral Council should be an independent body, the opposition has accused it of being a government tool.
The opposition noted that several of its senior officials were barred from witnessing the final tally nationwide, and some polling stations did not allow opposition observers to oversee the process.
Prior to the election result announcement, Machado urged the Venezuelan military to uphold the election outcome. The opposition claimed to possess approximately 40% of the vote records.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken expressed deep concern over the Venezuelan authorities announcing Maduro’s victory for a third term and voiced fears that it might not reflect the will of the people.
Moments after Venezuela’s election authorities announced Maduro’s win, Blinken interrupted a meeting with Indo-Pacific countries and made a public statement.
During a press conference in Tokyo, Blinken stated, “We’ve just seen the announcement from the Venezuelan Electoral Council. We’re very concerned that the results announced do not reflect the will or the vote of the Venezuelan people.”
Blinken emphasized that the international community is closely monitoring the situation and will respond accordingly.
He said, “It’s critically important that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and election observers, and that detailed vote tally sheets be made public.”
The U.S. refuses to recognize Maduro’s 2018 reelection. U.S. officials said they would adjust sanctions policy based on the conduct of the election.
Following the announcement of Maduro’s successful reelection for a third term, various countries reacted to the results.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric stated, “The Maduro regime must understand that the results are incredible. The international community, especially the Venezuelan people, including millions of Venezuelan exiles, demand full transparency.”
Boric added, “We will not recognize any unverifiable election results.”
Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea condemned the Venezuelan government’s deceptive actions aimed at deceiving the people. Peru does not accept actions that go against the will of the Venezuelan people.
“Gonzalez-Olaechea announced the immediate recall of the Peruvian Ambassador to Venezuela for consultations.”
The Costa Rican government asserted, “The Costa Rican government staunchly refuses to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the President of Venezuela, as we consider this to be fraudulent. We will cooperate with democratic governments in Africa and international organizations to ensure the sacred will of the Venezuelan people is respected.”
Argentine President Javier Milei stated before the election results were revealed, “Argentina will not recognize another fraud. Hopefully, this time the armed forces defend democracy and the will of the people.”
Foreign Ministers from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic issued a joint statement before the election results were made public.
The statement emphasized the need to guarantee that the election results fully respect the sentiments expressed by the Venezuelan people in their votes. Transparency in counting votes, allowing observers and representatives of all candidates to verify and monitor the process, was deemed essential.