President Nicolás Maduro has claimed victory in Venezuela's presidential election on Monday, July 29, according to partial results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
As per BBC, CNE head Elvis Amoroso reported that with 80% of the ballots counted, Maduro secured 51% of the vote, while his main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, garnered 44%.
The opposition has rejected these results, asserting that their candidate, Gonzalez, actually won with 70% of the votes.
However, they plan to challenge the outcome, citing exit polls and quick counts that show Gonzalez leading by a significant margin.
Meanwhile, many citizens, especially those in impoverished areas like Petare, expressed frustration with the current government’s failures.
Despite widespread fears of election fraud, opposition leaders hoped their lead would prevent any manipulation.
However, there have been reports of opposition witnesses being forced out of polling stations, raising doubts about the fairness of the vote count.
Whereas international reactions have been mixed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chilean President Gabriel Boric have expressed skepticism about the results, calling for transparency.
Conversely, Maduro’s allies, such as the Cuban president, have congratulated him, praising the Venezuelan people’s resilience.
