Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election by the government-controlled electoral authority.
Elvis Amoroso, the Head of the National Electoral Council, said that Maduro secured 51.21% of the vote, overcoming opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who garnered 44.2% 44 percent.
He said that the results were based on 80 percent of voting stations.
The announcement of the election results was delayed by several hours and came without the National Electoral Council releasing tallies from polling booths.
“I am Nicolás Maduro Moros – the re-elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela … and I will defend our democracy, our law and our people,” Maduro proclaimed as he addressed supporters in the capital, Caracas.
The result was celebrated by Maduro allies including the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez who hailed a “historic victory” and called it a triumph of “the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people.”
“The people spoke and the revolution won,” he posted on X.
Bolivia’s leftwing leader, Luis Arce, also celebrated the result of an election that was held on what would have been Chávez’s 70th birthday.
“What a great way to remember the Comandante Hugo Chávez,” Arce said on X.
However, Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from running for office, disputed the results saying that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won 70 percent of the vote.
There was also condemnation and questioning from elsewhere in the region, with many convinced the election had been stolen.
Chilean President, Gabriel Boric noted that the results announced by Venezuela’s electoral body declaring President Maduro the winner of the vote are unbelievable.
He demanded “total transparency of the minutes and the process, and international observers not committed to the government account for the veracity of the results.”
“[Chile] will not recognise any result that is not verifiable,” Boric added.
“Maduro’s regime must understand the results it publishes are hard to believe,” Boric wrote on X.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has ‘serious concerns’ about the announced result of Venezuela’s presidential election.
Speaking in Tokyo on Monday shortly after the announcement was made, Blinken said the U.S. was concerned that the result reflected neither the will nor the votes of the Venezuelan people.
He called for election officials to publish the full results transparently and immediately and said the U.S. and the international community would respond accordingly.
“It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently that the electoral authorities immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay and that the electoral authorities publish the tabulation of votes. The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly.”
Antony Blinken
Colombia Urges Doubts To Be Cleared After Controversial Vote
Colombia Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo pressed authorities to ensure that there’s transparency in the election results to quickly verify the disputed outcome.
“After maintaining permanent contact with all political actors involved in the presidential elections … we consider it essential that the voices of all sectors be heard,” Murillo stated.
“It is important to clear any doubts about the results… We call for the total vote count, its verification, and independent audit to be carried out as soon as possible.”
Luis Gilberto Murillo
Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani also expressed scepticism over the election results and demanded verifiable documents.
“I am perplexed. We want the results to be verified with access to documents,” Tajani wrote on X.
He queried, “The results announcing Maduro’s victory, does it really mirror the will of the people?”
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