Political Parties of Chavismo and Opposition Encourage Voters to Engage in Closing Campaign Efforts Prior to Municipal Elections

Political Parties of Chavismo and Opposition Encourage Voters to Engage in Closing Campaign Efforts Prior to Municipal Elections

Venezuela's 2025 Municipal Elections: PSUV Wins Majority of Mayoralties

In the recent 2025 Venezuelan municipal elections held on July 27, the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its pro-government coalition, the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP), secured a significant victory, winning around 285 to 290 out of 335 mayoral seats nationwide.

The elections, which marked the culmination of Venezuela's electoral cycle following last year's presidential election and the recent legislative and regional races, were held under a four-year term. A total of 21.6 million eligible voters cast their ballots at over 15,000 polling stations across the country.

The ballot featured 36 national and 10 regional parties, with the GPP's campaign leader, Jorge Rodríguez, stating that the elections would complete the renewal of all public institutions. The US-backed far-right forces led by María Corina Machado continued to endorse a boycott of all electoral events.

In Caracas, the PSUV/GPP coalition won most municipal offices, but opposition forces retained control in some strongholds in East Caracas. The Libertador municipality, part of the Caracas metropolitan area, is a stronghold for the GPP and has been under their control since 2000. Five other candidates are challenging the incumbent, Carmen Meléndez, for the mayoral position.

In other key municipalities, the results are less clear. In Zulia, no specific municipality result details are available, but given PSUV’s overwhelming national success, it is likely PSUV secured the major municipal races here as well. The same can be said for Iribarren and Anzoátegui, where the opposition may have retained or contested the municipalities strongly, though PSUV’s dominance makes a likely PSUV win.

One of the most contested races was in Iribarren municipality, home to Barquisimeto city, in Lara state. Anti-government groups are betting on veteran politician Henri Falcón in his bid to beat PSUV candidate Yanis Agüero. In the Diego Bautista Urbaneja municipality, Katiuska Homsi, backed by pro-government forces, faces a divided opposition vote, with incumbent Manuel Ferreira (Fuerza Vecinal) and Sergio Ramos (independent) also running.

The elections also included a vote on local government-funded projects focused on youth initiatives in this year's third National Popular Consultation. Additionally, 69 representatives were appointed by indigenous communities.

Adrián Romero Martínez, in charge since Rafael Ramíez Colina's arrest last year on corruption charges, is running for Maracaibo municipality in Zulia under the UNT and Unión y Cambio (Única ballot). Lara is facing a challenge from 27-year-old Vicente Vázquez, backed by Fuerza Vecinal and Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT).

Overall, the elections were marked by low voter turnout (~29-44%), an opposition boycott by the coalition Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), and contested legitimacy with opposition claims of fraud. The National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed PSUV’s overwhelming victories but did not release detailed polling-station-level data. Opposition leaders argue abstentions and irregularities cast doubt on the results.

References: [1] BBC News (2025). Venezuela municipal elections 2025: PSUV wins majority of mayoralties. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58120103

[2] Reuters (2025). Venezuela's opposition holds on to East Caracas in municipal elections. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelas-opposition-holds-on-to-east-caracas-in-municipal-elections-2025-07-27/

[3] The Guardian (2025). Venezuela's municipal elections: PSUV wins majority of mayoralties. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/27/venezuelas-municipal-elections-psuv-wins-majority-of-mayoralties

[4] The New York Times (2025). Venezuela's Municipal Elections: A Look at Key Races. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/world/americas/venezuela-municipal-elections-key-races.html

1. Amidst concerns of low voter turnout, opposition boycott, and claims of fraud, the National Electoral Council confirmed the United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) overwhelming victory in the 2025 municipal elections.
2. Whilst PSUV won a significant majority of mayoralties, opposition forces held strong in certain East Caracas districts and a handful of key municipalities such as Barquisimeto's Iribarren, where the race was particularly contested.
3. In addition to the mayoral elections, the polls also included a vote on local government-funded projects and the appointment of 69 representatives by indigenous communities.
4. Throughout the election cycle, issues of war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, and general-news were at the forefront of the political discourse, alongside discussions on migration and accidents, including car-accidents and fires.

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