Maduro's Regime Claims Victory Amidst Opposition Boycott in Venezuelan Elections
The recent elections held in Venezuela have resulted in a baffling claim of victory by President Nicolás Maduro's party, securing 827 percent of the votes. This figure comes as no surprise given the gradual erosion of democratic institutions and the repression of opposition since Maduro's initial rise to power in 2013. Following the controversial presidential elections last July, marked by widespread allegations of fraud, the main opposition party opted to boycott the recent elections.
In these elections, Venezuelans were tasked with electing 285 deputies to the National Assembly, 260 local legislators, and 23 governors across the country's federal states. By 11:40 PM local time (6:40 AM Italian time), with approximately 93 percent of ballots counted, opposition parties had garnered around 14 percent of the total vote. Notably, 5.18 percent of these votes came from the Única Alliance, a faction led by Henrique Capriles Radonski, a prominent figure in the Venezuelan opposition.
Voter turnout was notably low at just 42.6 percent of those eligible, a decline partially attributed to the boycott called by María Corina Machado, a revered leader in the opposition movement, who urged Venezuelans to abstain from voting to demonstrate the regime's illegitimacy. Machado has been living in hiding to evade arrest, highlighting the dangers faced by those opposing Maduro's government. Edmundo González Urrutia, who had won the preceding presidential elections, was forced to flee the country due to the oppressive political climate.
In the local elections, Maduro's regime successfully secured all but one governor position, further consolidating its power. Noteworthy is their victory in the contested Guayana Esequiba territory—a region claimed by Guyana since the 1800s, but asserted by Venezuela due to its natural resources. This territory was included in the recent elections seemingly as a means of propaganda and to reinforce the regime's narrative.
As Maduro continues to assert control through manipulated electoral processes, questions about the legitimacy of his rule grow louder in the face of a silenced opposition and a population grappling with deepening economic crises.
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