Maduro Becomes Venezuelan President as Opposition Plans Protest

Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of the Presidential Elections held in Venezuela on Sunday. This is the third consecutive time that Maduro has been elected as the President of Venezuela.

Opposition Claims Rigging

The National Electoral Council reported that Maduro had received 51 percent of the votes, while the main opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had 44 percent. However, opposition leaders are planning to protest the results.

The electoral authority, controlled by Maduro loyalists, has not yet released official voting figures from 30, 000 polling stations, preventing the opposition from confirming the results. Foreign leaders are yet to recognize the results as the electoral council has promised to release the official figures in the coming hours.

US Raises Questions

Chilean leftist leader Gabriel Boric said, ‘The Maduro government should understand that the results it has published are difficult to believe.’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also stated this saying that his country is deeply concerned that the results announced do not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people.

US Vice President Kamala Harris took to X to support the people of Venezuela. “The will of Venezuelan people must be respected,” she posted.

The United States stands with the people of Venezuela who expressed their voice in today’s historic presidential election. The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected. Despite the many challenges, we will continue to work toward a more democratic, prosperous, and secure…

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 28, 2024

Maduro’s Accusations Against Foreign Enemies

When Maduro finally came out to celebrate the results, he accused unknown foreign enemies of trying to hack the voting system. “This is not the first time they have tried to disturb the peace of this country,” he told hundreds of supporters present at the presidential residence. He did not provide any evidence to support his victory but promised to punish those who tried to incite violence in Venezuela. Opposition representatives said that the data they had collected at polling stations showed that Gonzalez was defeating Maduro.