Anticipated protests from both the ruling party and opposition supporters are set to occur in Venezuela on Tuesday, following a contentious election victory by President Nicolas Maduro. The opposition claims that the vote counts indicate their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won decisively. On Monday, electoral officials declared Maduro the winner of a third term with 51% of the vote, thereby extending the socialist regime's 25-year reign. However, the opposition asserts that the 73% of voting tallies they have access to show Gonzalez securing an insurmountable lead, with more than double the votes of Maduro.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, in a late Monday post on X, urged Venezuelans to gather as a family and demonstrate their resolve to ensure every vote counts and to defend the truth. She called for marches on Tuesday. Meanwhile, ruling party lawmaker and Maduro's campaign manager, Jorge Rodriguez, encouraged supporters to march to the Miraflores presidential palace in support of the government. Gonzalez has cautioned against violence, while Rodriguez accused the opposition of inciting it. Maduro, speaking on Monday night, stated that his government is capable of confronting and defeating those who resort to violence, though he also expressed support for peace.
Maduro, a 61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister, assumed office following Hugo Chavez's death in 2013. His 2018 reelection is viewed as fraudulent by the United States and other nations, who label him a dictator. Many Venezuelan voters are disheartened by the prospect of another six-year term for Maduro, who has overseen an economic collapse, the migration of approximately one-third of the population, and a significant deterioration in diplomatic relations, culminating in sanctions from the United States, the European Union, and others that have severely impacted the already struggling oil industry. Governments worldwide, including Washington, have called for a comprehensive recount of the votes, and 12 member nations of the Organization of American States are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the election.
Machado revealed that the opposition's tallies showed a total of 2.75 million votes for Maduro and 6.27 million for Gonzalez, a stark contrast to the 5.15 million votes the electoral authority reported for Maduro, compared to 4.45 million for Gonzalez. Clashes between protesters and security forces were reported across the country on Monday, with tear gas used to disperse crowds and at least two fatalities. In Coro, the capital of Falcon state, protesters dismantled a statue of Maduro's late mentor, Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan Conflict Observatory, an advocacy group, reported over 180 protests in 20 of the country's 23 states, noting numerous acts of repression and violence carried out by paramilitary groups and security forces.
