Venezuela's Electoral Council Officially Announces Maduro's Re-Election Success

Title: Maduro Proclaimed Winner of Venezuela's Controversial Presidential Election

Buzzing from the streets of Caracas, July 29, 2024 (our website) - Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) has officially declared Nicolás Maduro the victor of the heated presidential election.

Just past noon yesterday, Venezuela's president secured his third six-year term from CNE President Elvis Amoroso, who handed over Maduro's winning credentials. Maduro's next term commences on January 10, 2025.

During a nationwide broadcast, Maduro expressed his gratitude and pledged to lead the country towards peace, prosperity, and national unity. He also promised to combat any coup attempts or violence from the extreme right-wing opposition.

Amoroso defended the presidential vote as happening "in a climate of respect, peace, and democratic participation," despite attempts to incite disorder.

Sunday's elections took place relatively incident-free, with millions of Venezuelans heading to the polls amid tension.

After midnight, Amoroso presented the first bulletin, announcing an "irreversible trend" favoring Maduro with 51.2% of the vote versus Edmundo González's 44.2%. Reports indicated that 80% of voting centers had been tabulated.

The remaining eight candidates combined earned 4.5% of the vote while turnout stood at roughly 60%. The complete electoral results were expected to be published on the CNE website soon.

Amoroso mentioned that the extended wait for the electoral results was due to an attack against the data transmission system, which slowed the process. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced an investigation into the apparent hacking, with a warning against any violent agenda.

Meanwhile, the US-backed opposition disputed the official results, proclaiming González the winner. In a press conference after the CNE's announcement, far-right leader María Corina Machado stated that González supposedly received 70% of the vote based on her campaign representatives' calculations. Yet, no tangible evidence has been presented to support her claim.

Machado threatened to take "actions" in defense of the truth and encouraged Venezuela's military to align with history and enforce the results. The US echoed Machado's accusations of fraud and threatened consequences against the Venezuelan government.

As both sides claim victory, urban disturbances have been reported across the country, particularly in Caracas. Residents in certain neighborhoods have taken to pot-banging protests, while scattered incidents of tire-burning and road blockages have emerged. Yet, state forces have managed to diffuse the situation so far, with no significant confrontations on record.

Retail and service activities largely remained closed on Monday as a precaution. Misinformation has been rife, as videos from previous violent opposition protests circulate online and are presented as current events.

Before the election, 910 international observers from 95 countries monitored voting centers across Venezuela to attest to the fairness of the voting process. Following the election, the National Lawyers Guild praised the transparency of the Venezuelan election process and criticized the US for undermining the democratic process.

The Carter Center, however, declined to comment on the electoral process but emphasized the importance of intricate data from polling stations for its assessment.

Despite the US-backed opposition, led by María Corina Machado, disputing the official results of the Venezuelan presidential election, claiming Edmundo González as the winner, no tangible evidence has been presented to support her claim.
In a press conference after the Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Nicolás Maduro's win, María Corina Machado threatened to take "actions" in defense of the truth and encouraged Venezuela's military to align with history and enforce the results.
As both Maduro and the opposition claim victory, a wave of urban disturbances has been reported across Venezuela, particularly in Caracas, with residents in certain neighborhoods taking part in pot-banging protests, tire-burning, and road blockages.
Millions of Venezuelans headed to the polls amid tension on the day of the election, demonstrating the country's intricate policy-and-legislation and political landscape, which reflects the complexities of war-and-conflicts and migration issues in general-news.
As Nicolás Maduro begins his third term as Venezuela's president from January 10, 2025, he faces the challenge of leading the country towards peace, prosperity, and national unity while combating any coup attempts or violence from the extreme right-wing opposition.