Electoral Crisis in Venezuela: Maduro Proclaims President Amid Reports of Fraud and Violent Protests
In the early hours of Monday, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela proclaimed Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections with 51.2% of the votes, while the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, obtained 44.2%. %. This announcement has generated a wave of indignation and allegations of fraud by the opposition and has provoked reactions of condemnation from the international community.
The Venezuelan electoral process has been marred by the lack of access to physical records, which are essential to verify the results. The opposition expected a resounding victory, but the official result contradicts those expectations, recalling the electoral controversies of 2013 when Maduro was proclaimed president after the death of Hugo Chávez.
The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, has rejected the results, arguing that the electoral records in its possession indicate a clear victory for González Urrutia. In a press conference, Machado stated: "According to the verification of the electoral records, we have won the election with a large majority." The opposition maintains that the government-controlled CNE has manipulated the results and demands the full publication of the minutes to verify the count.
International Response
The Organization of American States (OAS) has condemned what it considers an "aberrant" manipulation of the results by the Maduro government and has urged that the electoral defeat be accepted. Brazil, through its Foreign Ministry, has requested the publication of the minutes to ensure the transparency and legitimacy of the process. In addition, the Carter Center, an international election observer, has requested the immediate publication of the electoral records in order to complete its verification task.
The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, has called for complete transparency in the vote count and has congratulated the Venezuelan people for expressing their will peacefully. "Guterres calls for full transparency and encourages the timely publication of election results and a breakdown by polling stations," he said in a statement.
Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has taken a different stance from the rest of the international community, indicating that Mexico will recognize the elected government if the CNE confirms the results. "We have 80% of the polls. We have to wait for 100% to be there and we are going to be guided by that. If the electoral authority of Venezuela confirms this trend, we are going to recognize the Government elected by the people of Venezuela, because this way It is democracy," declared López Obrador.
The Venezuelan government has expelled diplomats from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic, in response to criticism about the electoral process. The OAS has condemned this action, reaffirming its complaint about the manipulation of the electoral results.
Protests and Repression
The streets of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities have been filled with protesters who reject the results announced by the CNE, denouncing what they consider electoral fraud. The protesters, who are mostly young, have used various forms of protest, from peaceful marches to setting up barricades and closing main roads. The concentrations have taken place both in the popular neighborhoods, traditionally bastions of Chavismo, and in the more affluent areas of the country's main cities.
The repression of these protests has been forceful. At least two people have lost their lives and several dozen have been arrested. However, the exact numbers of victims vary depending on the sources: the NGO Foro Penal reports six deaths in different regions of the country, while the National Hospital Survey has recorded three deaths in Maracay and Caracas. In addition, the repression has left dozens of people injured, many of whom have been shot by pellets and tear gas bombs launched by the security forces.
Numerous videos circulate on social networks showing protesters confronting security forces, with scenes of violence and repression. In some videos, agents from the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and the Bolivarian National Police (PNB) can be seen shooting directly at protesters, using both lethal and non-lethal ammunition. There have also been reported cases of armed civilians, presumably government sympathizers, attacking protesters.
The repression has not been limited to Caracas. Particularly violent clashes have been reported in the state of Táchira, on the border with Colombia. Protesters have blocked the main access roads to the city of San Cristóbal, and the response of the security forces has been equally violent. In the state of Zulia, in the west of the country, protests have also been intense. Protesters have set vehicles on fire and set up barricades, while police have responded with fierce repression.
The situation in the state of Aragua has been similar, with reports of clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Maracay. In Yaracuy, two people have died in the clashes, according to the NGO Foro Penal. These incidents reflect the tension and discontent prevailing throughout the country.
Human rights organizations have denounced the government's excessive use of force. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged Venezuelan authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest and to investigate cases of violence and repression. In response, the government has defended the actions of security forces, calling protesters "terrorists" and accusing them of trying to destabilize the country.
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