Topline
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the country’s election despite numerous exit polls predicting a victory for opposition candidate Edmundo González, prompting U.S. officials and other Latin American leaders to question the results and accuse Maduro of electoral fraud.
President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of the Venezuelan elections in a result that has … [+]
Key Facts
Venezuela’s electoral authority claimed Maduro secured 51% of the vote, while González received 44%—handing the incumbent a third term in office.
Maduro called his win a “triumph of peace and stability” while rejecting any suggestions of electoral fraud, in a speech delivered to his supporters in front of the presidential palace.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” as he urged the country’s authorities to share detailed information with the opposition and independent observers.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., lashed out at Maduro, saying he lost by at least 30 points in reality and accused his regime of carrying out “the most predictable and ridiculous sham election in modern history.”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said: “The Maduro regime must understand that the results it publishes are hard to believe…international observers who are not committed to the government should verify the results,” failing which his government will not recognize the outcome.
Just before the results were announced, Argentinian President Javier Milei tweeted: “Venezuelans chose to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro…Argentina will not recognize another fraud,” while Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou and Peru’s Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea also dismissed the results as fraudulent.
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Crucial Quote
Venezuela’s most popular opposition leader María Corina Machado—who backed González’s candidacy after being controversially disqualified from running—told supporters that González had recorded an “overwhelming,” based on tallies she received from representatives present at 40% of the ballot boxes. “We won and the whole world knows it.”
Contra
Some Latin American countries—including Cuba and Bolivia—hailed the election results and congratulated Maduro while the leaders of Mexico and Colombia are yet to comment. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X, “Today the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people triumphed over pressure and manipulation,” hailing “brother” Maduro for cleanly defeating “the pro-imperialist opposition in an unequivocal manner.” Bolivian President Luis Arce also congratulated Maduro, saying: “We have closely followed this democratic celebration and we salute that the will of the Venezuelan people has been respected at the polls.”
Tangent
Elon Musk called the results a “travesty” on X and accused Maduro’s regime of engaging in fraud. The billionaire also reposted a claim that the U.S. would become Venezuela “if Trump is not elected,” and wrote, “I think the risk of this is very real.”
