Both the opposition and Maduro declare victory in the country's presidential election.

 On Sunday, election officials declared the highly unpopular president, Maduro, had won a third term. This sparked allegations of widespread fraud from the opposition, who believe their candidate, Edmundo González, was denied victory.

Nicolás Maduro

Elvis Amoroso, president of the National Electoral Council and a Maduro ally, announced Maduro's win with 51% of the vote, while González received 44%, with 80% of votes counted. Despite these official figures, opposition leader María Corina Machado claimed González actually received 70% of the vote, using voting machine receipts, exit surveys, and rapid counts as evidence.

At a press conference in Caracas, Machado asserted, "Edmundo González is the new president of Venezuela." She cited various data sources indicating González’s overwhelming victory. Pre-election polls and an exit poll by Edison Research also showed González leading Maduro by significant margins.

"We prevailed across all demographics and states," Machado declared. "The whole world is aware that we prevailed. The regime is aware of what transpired."

Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas research group, called Maduro's victory speech "100% predictable."

Maduro, 61, initially became president in 2013 following the death of his mentor, Hugo Chávez. His tenure has been marked by severe economic crisis, resulting in the emigration of around 8 million people. He faces terrorism and drug trafficking charges from the United States, and the International Criminal Court is investigating him for potential crimes against humanity.

The international community, including the Biden administration, quickly expressed concern over the election results. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, "We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."

Chilean President Gabriel Boric echoed this sentiment, stating on X, "The Maduro regime must understand that the results they have published are difficult to believe."

Similar concerns were voiced by Brazil, Colombia, and other Latin American countries.

On election day, visible anger and dissatisfaction towards Maduro were evident as some of his supporters were jeered at voting stations. Many Venezuelans chanted "It's going to fall," reflecting their hope for change. Enthusiastic opposition supporters, like Elidio Santana, waited in long lines to cast their votes for González.

"We've been waiting for a change of government for 25 years," said Santana. "We have had enough. This nation requires transformation."

Only roughly 69,000 of the estimated 5.5 million Venezuelan expatriates who were entitled to vote were able to do so because of administrative barriers. A Colombian nurse named Carolina Martínez was among the handful who was able to cast a ballot. She said she hoped González's victory would inspire foreigners to go back home.

Both sides are declaring triumph, which might lead to instability in Venezuela. González asked his followers to maintain calm as the opposition gathered proof of their purported triumph.


"We're going to keep fighting," González declared early on Monday. "Until the people's will is respected, we won't stop."

#VenezuelaElection, #MaduroFraud, #GonzálezVictory #VenezuelanPolitics, #ElectionControversy, #DemocracyInVenezuela #VenezuelanProtests, #FraudulentElections, #MaduroRegime #OppositionWins, #VenezuelanCrisis, #VoteForChange #GlobalAwareness, #JusticeForVenezuela, #PoliticalUnrest #MaduroMagicMath, #GonzálezGotRobbed, #VenezuelaVoteDrama #DemocracyOrDeception, #ElectionFiasco, #MaduroMania #PollPlotTwist, #BallotBoxBattles, #VotesOrVoodoo #ElectionEnigma, #DictatorshipDisguised, #FakeWinRealLoss #VotesAndVexations