Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV), led by President Nicolás Maduro, has claimed a sweeping victory in recent regional and parliamentary elections held across the country, despite a boycott by major opposition parties who labeled the vote a “farce.” The government-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE) reported high turnout and favorable results for the ruling coalition, a stark contrast to opposition claims of low participation.
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Election Results Claimed by Ruling Party
The CNE, Venezuela’s electoral authority, announced preliminary results indicating significant wins for the PSUV and its allies. According to the council, PSUV candidates secured governorships in 23 out of Venezuela’s 24 states.
In the race for the National Assembly, Venezuela’s legislative body, the CNE reported that the ruling coalition obtained 82.68% of the votes cast. This outcome grants the government a substantial majority in the legislature.
Opposition Boycott and Turnout Dispute
Most of Venezuela’s main opposition parties refused to participate in the elections, arguing that conditions were not fair or transparent. Key opposition figures characterized the vote as illegitimate.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado stated that turnout was exceptionally low, estimating it at below 15%. “More than 85% of Venezuelans did not obey this regime and said ‘no’,” Machado asserted, referring to those who abstained from voting.
Independent journalists who visited various polling stations throughout the election day corroborated observations of low voter traffic, noting fewer people than seen during the presidential election in July. Conversely, the CNE reported a nationwide turnout figure of 42.6%.
Cilia Flores, wife of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, casts her ballot during the regional and parliamentary elections.
Electoral Authority Scrutiny
The independence of the CNE has long been questioned by the Venezuelan opposition and international observers. The council is headed by Elvis Amoroso, a former legal counsel to President Maduro.
Criticism intensified following the 2023 presidential election, where the CNE declared Mr. Maduro the winner without releasing detailed voting tallies to support the claim. Opposition groups, citing their own observer data, maintained that their candidate, Edmundo González, had won overwhelmingly.
Opposition Response Post-Election
Following the disputed 2023 presidential election, a wave of repression led to arrests and the exile of some opposition figures. Edmundo González went into exile in Spain. María Corina Machado, who had been barred from running for public office and supported González, remained in Venezuela and became a leading advocate for boycotting the recent legislative and gubernatorial elections.
Machado argued that the results of the July presidential election should be recognized before any new electoral processes take place. “We voted on 28 July. On 25 May, we won’t vote,” she had stated previously.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado speaks via video link during a forum.
A small number of opposition politicians chose to participate in the elections despite the wider boycott, arguing that leaving all positions uncontested to the ruling party was counterproductive. These included former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and Zulia state governor Manuel Rosales.
Capriles described voting as an “expression of resistance, of resilience, of not giving up.” Their participation was criticized by boycott proponents like Machado, who viewed it as a “betrayal.”
Opposition figure Henrique Capriles participates in the Venezuelan elections, holding a child.
With the low turnout and the boycott by major parties, President Maduro’s PSUV secured victory in most gubernatorial races, increasing its hold from 20 to 23 states. Preliminary legislative results also indicated an absolute majority for the ruling coalition. While the vast majority of seats went to the PSUV, three politicians from the opposition UNT party, including Henrique Capriles, were reportedly elected to the National Assembly.
President Maduro hailed the results as a “victory of peace and stability,” noting the recapture of key states like Zulia and Barinas, the home state of former president Hugo Chávez. The state of Cojedes remains under opposition control, with the re-election of candidate Alberto Galíndez.
Pre-Election Arrests
The period leading up to the vote saw a series of arrests targeting individuals with links to the opposition. More than 70 people were detained, with the government accusing them of “planning to sabotage the election.”
Among those arrested was Juan Pablo Guanipa, a close associate of María Corina Machado. The interior minister alleged he was a leader in a “terrorist network” plotting to disrupt the election with explosives. Machado condemned the arrests as “state terrorism.”
These detentions followed previous incidents of alleged repression against opposition figures. Read more about opposition members rescued from Caracas, and details surrounding the death of an opposition activist in jail. Accounts from activists have also detailed alleged brutality experienced in Venezuelan prisons.
Essequibo Territory Vote
In addition to regional and legislative representatives, the election also included a vote for representatives for the Essequibo region, a territory administered by neighboring Guyana but claimed by Venezuela. This vote proceeded despite an International Court of Justice (ICJ) order for Venezuela to refrain from such actions.
Since Venezuela does not control the Essequibo territory, no polling stations were located there, and residents of the region did not participate. Instead, the vote took place in a newly created district on the Venezuelan side of the border, carrying only symbolic weight.
Admiral Neil Villamizar, a Maduro loyalist, won this symbolic vote and is expected to be declared “governor of Essequibo” by the Venezuelan government, despite having no authority over the territory.
Guyana’s president, Irfaan Ali, denounced the vote as “scandalous, false, propagandistic, opportunistic” and affirmed his commitment to protecting Guyana’s territorial integrity. The territorial dispute with Guyana has seen increased tensions. Learn more about the UK sending a warship to Guyana amid tensions and Venezuela’s previous vote endorsing its claim to the region.
Conclusion
Venezuela’s ruling party has claimed a dominant victory in elections largely boycotted by the main opposition. The results, disputed by the opposition and marked by questions over the electoral authority’s independence and voter turnout, solidify the government’s control over most state governorships and the national legislature. The elections also saw a symbolic vote related to the disputed Essequibo territory, further highlighting ongoing regional tensions. The political landscape remains divided between the government and opposition factions holding differing views on the legitimacy of the electoral process.
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