Maduro wins presidency, US hints at foul play

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council President Elvis Amoroso released the agency’s first ballot, according to which 5,150,092 voters, or 51.2% of the electorate, supported Maduro after 80% of the ballots were counted

Incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won the country’s presidential election. He was re-elected for a third six-year term.

Voting results

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council President Elvis Amoroso released the agency’s first ballot, according to which 5,150,092 voters, or 51.2% of the electorate, supported Maduro after 80% of the ballots were counted.

His main rival, far-right candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, got 4,445,978 votes, representing 44.2% of all those who voted, while a combined 4.6% of voters cast their ballots for one of the other eight candidates.

Opposition statement

One of Venezuela’s opposition leaders, Maria Corina Machado, said that Edmundo Gonzalez and his campaign team would not recognize his defeat.

Machado, who won the opposition primaries but did not participate in the election because she was previously disenfranchised by a court, said that Maduro’s opponents will try to challenge the election results

World reaction

Argentinian President Javier Milei said that his country will not recognize Nicolas Maduro’s victory because it considers opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez to be the rightful winner.

The Chilean government will not recognize the results of the Venezuelan election until they are confirmed by international observers, Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said.

The US authorities have “serious concerns” that the results of the presidential election announced by the Venezuelan authorities “do not reflect the will of the people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The Peruvian authorities refused to recognize the results of the Venezuelan election, Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea said. The country also recalled its ambassador for consultations.

A number of countries, including Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua and Honduras, congratulated Maduro on his victory.

Venezuelan Foreign Ministry statement

Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said that nine Latin American countries attempted to interfere in the election. The ministry said the governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay were “trying to distort the peaceful expression of the will” of the people.

Earlier, the foreign ministries of Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay issued a joint statement calling on Caracas to ensure a “transparent vote count.”

Moscow’s reaction

Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov said that “the convincing victory of Nicolas Maduro in the elections” will allow the comprehensive strengthening of the Russian-Venezuelan strategic partnership.