Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his rival, Edmundo González Urrutia, are both declaring victory following Monday's presidential election. With 80% of the votes counted, official results show Maduro leading with 51% while Urrutia trails at 44%, according to CNN.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado contested these results, asserting that Urrutia actually secured 70% of the vote compared to Maduro’s 30%. “We won, and everyone knows it,” Machado declared.
After electoral authorities named Maduro the winner, González accused them of violating all the rules. The opposition has demanded that electoral officials release all voting tallies from the machines for verification. González, a former diplomat new to politics, questioned the National Electoral Council's (CNE) claim of having 80% of the tally sheets by midnight on Sunday, accusing the CNE of bias towards the ruling party.
“Our struggle continues and we will not rest until the will of the Venezuelan people is respected,” González stated, alongside Machado, the key supporter of his campaign.
Both the United States and neighboring countries have expressed doubts about the official results, with foreign leaders withholding recognition of the election outcome.
The Biden administration ironically criticized the election, calling it manipulated and lacking credibility. U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, emphasized that the international community would not accept the result unless a detailed vote tabulation was published. While no new sanctions were announced, the U.S. indicated it would reassess its policy based on Maduro's future actions.
