Pro-Government coalition scores significant victories in legislative and regional polls held in Venezuela
Venezuela's ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) and its allies clinched a decisive victory in the regional and parliamentary elections held on May 25, 2025. The National Electoral Council (CNE) reported that the PSUV-led coalition, known as the Great Patriotic Pole, secured approximately 82.7% of the votes cast for the unicameral National Assembly.
Opposition coalitions, the Democratic Alliance and UNT-Única, followed with 6.25% and 5.18%, respectively. Far-right opposition groups, led by María Corina Machado, had urged a boycott of the elections, which they claimed to have won in the July 28, 2024, presidential elections, in which President Nicolás Maduro secured a third term in office.
Voters also elected 24 state governors and 260 regional legislators, with a total of 54 political parties participating in the contests. According to CNE President Elvis Amoroso, 42.7% of "active voters" participated, but he did not define them. The turnout figure, representing just over 25% of the electoral roll, was in line with the previous legislative elections in 2020, which were also affected by a partial opposition boycott.
In a press conference following the elections, Amoroso praised the peaceful nature of the voting process and congratulated the Venezuelan people for participating. He claimed that the elections were an example of peace and democracy to the world. The Venezuelan armed forces and electoral officials were thanked for ensuring the safety of the voting process and working at polling stations across nearly 16,000 centers nationwide.
While the election was largely peaceful, an accident during the transportation of voting materials in Apure state resulted in the loss of three security officials' lives. Socialist Party leader and campaign chief Jorge Rodríguez stated that the vote was carried out without any incidents of violence.
In the regional elections, the PSUV obtained 23 of the 24 governor seats, with ten of them surpassing 90% of the vote. Incumbents such as Elio Serrano, Rafael Lacava, and Luis Marcano comfortably secured new terms. The only governorship retained by anti-government forces was in Cojedes state, with the Barinas, Nueva Esparta, and Zulia states lost by the opposition.
The new legislature, which will begin its five-year term on January 5, 2026, will consist of 253 deputies from the Great Patriotic Pole, with the various opposition factions splitting 29 seats. The remaining three posts will be chosen by Indigenous communities in accordance with local customs.
The turnout figure reported by the CNE does not include results broken down by voting center. At the time of writing, the CNE has not yet published these results.
The elections had been marked by a heavy crackdown on dissent, including the arrest of opposition figures accused of plotting to sabotage the vote, which contributed to the opposition's decision to boycott the elections and likely suppressed turnout. The opposition only won one governorship seat, indicating a significant loss of ground.
Migration due to war-and-conflicts and other reasons may increase as the political landscape in Venezuela becomes clearer following the decisive victory of the United Socialist Party (PSUV) in the 2025 regional and parliamentary elections. The boycott of the elections by some opposition parties and the arrest of opposition figures leading up to the elections could potentially lead to further political polarization and instability, ultimately fueling general-news stories about policy-and-legislation changes in the country.
