Venezuela’s incumbent President Nicolas Maduro has been re-elected for a third term, securing 51 percent of the vote in a historic election, according to the country’s electoral authority. The announcement came just after midnight on Monday, with 80 percent of ballot boxes counted.
Despite multiple exit polls suggesting an opposition win, the electoral authority confirmed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez garnered 44 percent of the vote. Earlier in the evening, the opposition had expressed optimism, with Gonzalez declaring, “The results cannot be hidden. The country has peacefully chosen a change,” on social media platform X at around 11 p.m. local time.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged the Venezuelan military to respect the election results. “A message for the military. The people of Venezuela have spoken: they don’t want Maduro,” she stated on X. “It is time to put yourselves on the right side of history. You have a chance and it’s now.”
President Maduro, a 61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister, has maintained strong support from Venezuela’s military throughout his tenure. There have been no public indications of a shift in the military’s allegiance.
The election marks a significant moment in Venezuela’s political landscape, reflecting the deep divisions and ongoing challenges within the nation. The international community will be closely watching the aftermath of this election and its implications for Venezuela’s future.
