Did Nicolás Maduro Just Steal Another Venezuelan Election?

The government-controlled electoral authority declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, giving him a third consecutive six-year term. But the opposition screams that the authoritarian socialist did not actually receive a majority of votes.

After counting 80 percent of the votes, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced On Monday, Maduro won 51 percent of the vote, while opposition candidate Edmundo González of the Democratic Unitary Platform received 44 percent.

In his victory speech, Maduro described the results as “a triumph of peace and stability, of republican ideals and of the idea of ​​equality.”

But the electoral body has not yet released official voting results from polling centers. Maduro says the delay was caused by an unnamed country hacking to the electoral council system. “The demons and devils did not want the total to be counted,” the Venezuelan leader said in a statement.

González claims the election results are fraudulent and his party is demanding that electoral authorities verify them by presenting the results produced by voting machines.

“Venezuelans and the whole world know what happened,” González said. he said at the press conference.

Voting in Venezuela is done electronically, with voters pressing a button to select their preferred candidate on a machine that sends the results to the CNE. Each machine also prints a paper receipt that is placed in the ballot box for a possible recount. The opposition plans to obtain those printed results to see if they match the results announced by the CNE.

So far, the opposition has only received votes from about 40 percent ballot boxes. Under Venezuelan law, independent witnesses are allowed remain at polling stations to count paper receipts to prevent manipulation and ensure fairness. However, opposition members say they have been negative access and were forcibly removed from the property.

The CNE also reportedly halted the transmission of data from local polling stations to its headquarters, preventing the processing of additional votes. It is unclear when authorities plan to announce full results.

The opposition claims that González actually won the election, receiving 70 percent votes against Maduro 30 percent.

“We not only defeated them politically, morally and spiritually, today we defeated them with our votes all over Venezuela,” said the opposition leader Maria Corina Machadopro-market politician who Maduro forbidden since running in the elections, he said at the press conference.

World leaders have expressed skepticism about the official results. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.” The EU’s foreign policy chief he wrote on X: “Ensuring full transparency of the electoral process, including detailed vote counting and access to voting records at polling stations, is crucial.” The same sentiment was expressed by several presidents in Latin America and Europe.

Maduro received congratulations from the presidents of Cuba, Honduras and Bolivia, as well as messages of support from Russia, China and Iran. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel he said “the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people triumphed over pressure and manipulation.” Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement declaration His self-confidence that Maduro “The actions of the Head of State will continue to contribute to their gradual development in all directions.”

This is not the first time Maduro’s legitimacy has been questioned. In 2018, then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released Voting in Venezuela ‘fraud’ due to numerous irregularities. Government bans opposition candidates from participating, jailed others and allegedly intimidated voters. The results led to mass protests and global condemnation.

Maduro, who replaced Hugo Chávez in 2013, faces allegations of drug trafficking and corruption in the US and is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have he escaped country amid hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods and rampant corruption. Many others have expressed their desire To leave if Maduro remains in power.

If the election results announced by the CNE turn out to be fraudulent, it could mark a turning point for Venezuela and a shift away from authoritarian rule.