Following the official declaration of President Nicolas Maduro as the victor of an election tainted by fraud by the opposition, Venezuelans took to the streets. Nationwide protests have broken out, with protesters even managing to topple a statue of Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez, in the state of Falcon. Protesters chanted anti-presidential slogans in the Petare neighborhood, one of the poorest areas of the capital, Caracas, while some young people wearing masks tore down the president’s campaign posters from lampposts. The presidential residence, Miraflores, was another destination for some of the demonstrators.
Large numbers of police were stationed throughout the city, and it was observed that National Guard personnel were using tear gas to scatter protesters. Additionally, pro-Maduro paramilitary forces known as “colectivos” were said to have opened fire on demonstrators. It will eventually fall. It will eventually fall. “This government is about to collapse!” exclaimed a few of the demonstrators. The National Electoral Council (CNE) officially acknowledged on Monday that Maduro had been re-elected by a majority of Venezuelans to a second six-year term as president “for the period 2025-2031,” which infuriated the populace. However, the CNE, which is dominated by Maduro supporters, has not made public the counts from each of the 30,000 polling places in Venezuela, escalating political unrest and calls for more openness in the country.
The election on Sunday was one of the least violent in recent memory in Venezuela
If Maduro does not win reelection, he has warned of a “bloodbath.” Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s mentor, led the socialist-inspired political movement that became dictatorial and lasted for over thirty years. Under his leadership, the state maintained its one-party system. The greatest oil reserves in the world are found in Venezuela. The severe sanctions implemented by the United States in 2019 combined with the financial mismanagement of this industry under Maduro’s leadership set off a chain reaction that ultimately led to the collapse of Venezuela’s economy. Additionally, it set off a humanitarian catastrophe that is still going strong and has left people without access to essentials like food and healthcare.
Over 80% of Venezuelans are now living in poverty as a result of the crisis, and 8 million of them are thought to have fled their country for other countries in Latin America and the United States, making it the greatest displacement issue globally. In light of this, support for Maduro and the Chavista government started to decline. The opposition movement then began to gather steam as its actions started to pierce the deeply rooted political apathy brought on by years of government persecution by a regime notorious for detaining dissidents and quelling demonstrations. Attorney General Tarek William Saab of Venezuela announced in a statement on Monday afternoon that his office is looking into a possible compromise of the data transmission system used by the election commission. Without offering any proof, Saab singled out Machado and two other opposition leaders as “supposedly the main people responsible for the attack.”
What took happening in Venezuela?
“I, Nicolas Maduro Moros, the re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, pledge to protect our democracy, legal system, and populace,” Maduro uttered upon his announcement as the victor of the Sunday presidential contest. Maduro asserted that a foreign actor—whom he would not name—had attempted a “massive hack” on Venezuela’s electoral process. He requested that “the popular will” and “the sovereign life of Venezuela” be honored. In the meantime, Maria Corina Machado, the head of the opposition, declared the contested election to be won. “This is the reality, and this is the Venezuelan election with the biggest margin of victory in history, my dear fellow countrymen. Kudos, Edmundo,” Machado added, addressing Gonzalez. “We’ll continue to announce the steps [we’ll take] to defend the truth in the days to come.”
The opposition would fight “until the end,” according to her. She continued, “And the truth surfacing and respect for the popular sovereignty that was expressed today will be the end.” At 10:00 GMT, Maduro cast his ballot in Caracas at 6 a.m. He declared during voting that the police and military would support and acknowledge the results declared by the authorities. In addition to running for reelection, Maduro was fighting to carry on the political endeavor that the late President Hugo Chavez began 25 years ago. In the meantime, the opposition, emboldened and presenting the biggest threat to Maduro’s authority in years, promised, should they win, to repair Venezuela’s economy, which has been severely damaged by Western sanctions, and to restore democracy.
What can be anticipated in Venezuela next?
Independent witnesses are allowed by law in Venezuela to remain at polling places until they have confirmed the count and obtained a printed copy of the results. The opposition, however, claimed that just thirty percent of voting places provided them with results. The inability of the electoral commission to provide official voting tallies from all 30,000 polling places has made it more difficult for the opposition to confirm the results. Historian of Latin America and former electoral observer in Venezuela Javier Farje says the opposition would rely on the backing of the international community to contest the results of the poll. Farje told Al Jazeera, “The opposition will demand that access to the vote be granted to international observers, and secondly, they will demand that the international community not recognize Maduro’s victory.”
The opposition will be observing Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab’s response in the interim. If he believes the opposition has committed specific electoral offenses, he could issue several arrest warrants. Carlos Eduardo Pina, a political scientist from Venezuela, told Al Jazeera that “this has happened in the past and it can happen again.” “A scenario of repression might occur,” Pina stated that the military’s reaction will play a major role in determining the outcome. He described them as “a sort of great elector in Venezuela.” Additionally, Pina stated that the indications thus far point to the military “recognizing” Maduro’s victory.
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