Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado announced on Monday that the opposition holds 73.2% of the voting tallies from the recent presidential election, which she claims confirms their victory. This comes despite the national electoral authority declaring incumbent President Nicolás Maduro the winner, granting him a third term and extending the socialist party’s rule by 25 years.
Machado asserted that the opposition’s tally shows 6.27 million votes for former diplomat Edmundo González, compared to 2.75 million for Maduro. This stark contrast to the official results—5.15 million for Maduro and 4.45 million for González—has fueled allegations of electoral fraud. Observers assigned to monitor the vote count reported being obstructed from verifying results, with some tallies not being printed.
The electoral authority announced Maduro’s victory with 51% of the vote shortly after midnight, proclaiming him president from 2025 to 2031. However, independent exit polls suggested González had garnered 65% support, with Maduro receiving between 14% and 31%.
The controversy has sparked widespread protests across Venezuela, resulting in at least two deaths—one in the border state of Táchira and another in Maracay. Demonstrators took to the streets and engaged in violent clashes, with some tearing down a statue of late President Hugo Chávez in Coro and blocking roads in Barquisimeto.
President Maduro, who has faced previous accusations of electoral fraud, condemned the protests as the work of paid agitators and vowed to confront violence. Ruling party lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez called for government supporters to rally in defense of Maduro on Tuesday, while Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino warned against a repeat of past violent protests.
Amidst the turmoil, opposition leader Machado urged the military to uphold the election results and called for protests in front of United Nations offices in Caracas. The military, historically loyal to Maduro, has not shown signs of breaking from the government.
The international community has expressed skepticism over the election’s legitimacy. The U.S. nonprofit Carter Center called for the immediate release of polling station results, and Biden administration officials accused the Venezuelan government of “electoral manipulation” without announcing new sanctions. Brazil and the European Union also called for transparency. The Venezuelan bonds and those of state oil firm PDVSA plummeted as a result, while Attorney General Tarek Saab claimed the results were delayed due to an alleged attack from North Macedonia, without providing evidence.
As Venezuela grapples with ongoing political instability, economic collapse, and international scrutiny, the future remains uncertain for both the country’s leadership and its citizens.
