CARACAS – Venezuela’s incumbent President Nicolas Maduro has secured re-election for a third six-year term, announced Elvis Amoroso, President of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela.
With 80% of the ballots counted, the council reported that Maduro received 5,150,092 votes or 51.2%. His main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, representing far-right parties, obtained 4,445,978 votes, or 44.2%. The remaining votes were divided among eight other candidates, who collectively garnered 4.6%.
Amoroso attributed the delay in announcing the results of Sunday’s election to an attack on the electoral body’s data release system.
Corina Machado, a leader of the Venezuelan opposition, stated that Gonzalez’s campaign team would not recognize the defeat. Throughout election day, CNN’s Spanish news channel aired claims from Gonzalez’s supporters that he was leading over Maduro.
International reactions to Maduro’s victory have been mixed. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his re-election, emphasizing the strong ties between the two countries. Maduro, known for his pro-Palestine stance, has been praised for reducing Venezuela’s inflation from 36,000% to 90%, despite facing 930 U.S. sanctions.
Maduro, a former bus driver and working-class Venezuelan, has seen his popularity rise significantly in the past year and a half, attributed to economic stabilization and improved living standards.
Spain has officially recognized Maduro’s electoral victory, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns” about the election results, questioning their reflection of the people’s will. China, on the other hand, congratulated Venezuela on the successful election and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Maduro’s win is viewed by some as a victory for workers and a step towards a multipolar world. However, dissent remains, with Argentine President Javier Milei calling for the Venezuelan Army to intervene, labeling the election as fraudulent. Additionally, Elon Musk took to social media platform X to allege major election fraud by Maduro.
