In brief
Venezuela's electoral body, under Nicolás Maduro, has declared a sweeping victory, attributing high turnout figures amidst an evident boycott by opposition leader María Corina Machado.
In a controversial series of regional and legislative elections, Venezuela's electoral council, comprised of staunch supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, announced a sweeping electoral win late Sunday, despite widespread calls for a boycott led by key opposition figure María Corina Machado. The results, broadcast on state television, claimed that Maduro’s party had secured over 80 percent of the votes and had wrested control of key regions, including Zulia, the country's most populous state and the heart of its oil industry.However, the election was marked by almost empty streets and polling stations, leading many to doubt the council's assertion of a 40 percent voter turnout. Independent observers were notably absent from the process, with the electoral council refraining from posting results online—contradicting practices from previous elections.The backlash against the vote coincides with lingering resentment from last year's presidential election, where Maduro claimed victory despite evidence presented by the Carter Center, an independent monitoring organization, showing that he had lost. The center condemned Maduro’s assertions as a “falsification.”Following the latest announcement, Carlos Quintero, the vice president of the electoral body, stated that Maduro-aligned parties dominated almost all governor's seats, with only one remaining under opposition control in Cojedes. This development not only weakens opposition presence but raises further questions about the legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela.
