Nicolás Maduro declares voters reelected him as president in Venezuela’s July 28 election. He has ordered the arrest of more than 2,000 opponents. He pledges to detain more and send them to prison. Protesters argue Maduro’s claims to victory are a fraud. Opposition coalition members say they have tallies that prove their leader, former diplomat Edmundo González, won the election.
González and opposition leader María Corina Machado say they collected records from more than 80% of the nation’s 30,000 electronic voting machines. They contend Maduro lost his bid for a third six-year term by a landslide.
However, the government claims that based on more than 96% of voting tally sheets, Maduro had 6.4 million votes and González only 5.3 million.
There are reports that soldiers, civilian militia, police, and loyalists of the ruling United Socialist Party hindered the election. They are said to have blocked some opposition members on election day from entering the polls and signing and getting copies of tally sheets.
The New York Times observes most Venezuelans living abroad were unable to register to vote. Election experts say new restrictions “amount to electoral fraud.”
Masked assailants ransacked the opposition’s headquarters. They broke down doors and hauled away valuable documents and equipment.
At least 11 people have died amid clashes and protests. That’s according to Foro Penal, a local human rights group.
González and Machado issued a statement on August 5. They asked the military and police “to put themselves on the side of the people and their families.”
The response was swift. Venezuela’s top prosecutor announced a criminal investigation against González and Machado. Attorney General Tarek William Saab wrote that the duo falsely announced an election winner other than the one proclaimed by the National Electoral Council. He says that is “the only body qualified to do so.” He argues the opposition openly incited “police and military officials to disobey the laws.”
The armed forces have shown no signs of ditching Maduro.
Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico seek to convince Maduro to allow an impartial check of the vote. So far the government has refused to publish the full electoral results. Maduro asked the country’s supreme court to review any claims of fraud. But the court is packed with his loyalists.
Both González and Machado have gone into hiding. They say they fear being arrested or killed.
The United States recognizes González as the victor. It discredits the National Electoral Council’s official results.
A few of Maduro’s staunch allies—including Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran—applauded his supposed victory.
Venezuela has the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves. It once boasted Latin America’s most advanced economy. But the nation entered a free fall after Maduro took the helm in 2013. The people suffered under 130,000% hyperinflation and widespread shortages. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014. That’s the largest exodus in Latin America’s recent history.
