Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro received 51.2 percent of the vote, according to the electoral authorities in Venezuela. The opposition, on the other hand, says they got 70 percent of the vote, and denies that Maduro has won. Independent election day polls also showed that the opposition was likely to win. The election has been marked by unrest, and some have feared that President Nicolás Maduro would cheat his way to victory. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez held a press conference after the election results were presented. Photo: Matias Delacroix / AP Maduro said, after the election results became clear, that this is a victory for peace and stability. He also repeated the claim he has made several times during the election campaign, that the electoral system is transparent. But US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wants proof of this. He says they are seriously concerned that the election results are not correct. – Now that the result is clear, it is crucial that every vote is counted fairly and openly. We ask the electoral authorities to publish the detailed count to ensure transparency and trust. Some of the opposition’s supporters gathered outside a polling station in Caracas. Photo: Cristian Hernandez / AP Chile’s president Gabriel Boric says they will not recognize the result. – Maduro’s regime must understand that it is difficult to believe the result. The international community and especially the people of Venezuela, including millions of them in exile, demand transparency. In Chile, we will not recognize results that cannot be verified. – Bloodbath Last week, however, Maduro went out and threatened a “bloodbath” if the people did not vote for him. – If you don’t want a bloodbath in Venezuela, a civil war where brother kills brother because of the fascists, then let’s guarantee the biggest electoral victory in the country’s history, Maduro told his supporters. Nicolás Maduro has been in power in Venezuela since 2013. Here he votes in the capital, Caracas. Photo: JUAN BARRETO / AFP On Sunday, Maduro said he would respect the election results regardless of the outcome, reports AFP. Still, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged people to stay at the polling stations to make sure the counting went right. Imprisoning campaign workers There were a total of ten candidates challenging Maduro, but the only one who had a chance was Edmundo Gonzalez. He represents the opposition coalition Enhetsplattformen, and has led with between 30 and 50 per cent in independent election polls. Edmundo Gonzalez was leading in the pre-election polls. He is a retired diplomat. Photo: Alexandre Meneghini / Reuters The election results show that Gonzalez received 44.2 percent of the vote. Maduro and his regime have cracked down hard on all opposition over several years to ensure electoral victory. Over a hundred election campaign workers for the opposition have been arrested in recent weeks. Economic disaster Maduro has been the country’s president since 2013, and has been hated by many. Under his regime, Venezuela’s economy has collapsed. Inflation has exploded. There has been an acute shortage of food and medicine for long periods. It has caused close to 7 million to leave their home country. The largest group has settled in neighboring Colombia. By giving great privileges to the military, and by manipulating elections, President Maduro has stayed in power. This despite tremendous economic pressure from the US and other Western countries. Published 29/07/2024, at 06.21 Updated 29.07.2024, at 07.24
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President Nicolás Maduro has won – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
