Government, opposition both claim Venezuela election win, official
results questioned
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[July 29, 2024]
By Julia Symmes Cobb
CARACAS (Reuters) -President Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival
Edmundo Gonzalez on Monday both claimed victory in Venezuela's
presidential election as Washington and other foreign governments cast
doubt on official results that kept the incumbent in power.
The national electoral authority said just after midnight that Maduro
had won a third term with 51% of the vote - a result that would extend a
quarter-century of socialist rule.
But independent exit polls pointed to a big opposition win following
enthusiastic shows of support for Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria
Corina Machado on the campaign trail.
Gonzalez won 70%, said Machado, who had been barred from holding public
office in a decision she says is unfair.
Gonzalez told supporters that rules had been violated on polling day.
"Our message of reconciliation and peaceful change still stands...our
struggle continues and we won't rest until the will of the people of
Venezuela is respected," he said.
It was not immediately clear exactly what the opposition's next move
might be. Gonzalez also said he was not calling for supporters to take
to the streets or commit any acts of violence.
But isolated incidents took place around the country before the
announcement of results, including the death of one man in Tachira state
and scuffles at polling sites in Caracas and other places. Police
dispersed a protest in Catia, traditionally a ruling party bastion in
western Caracas.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had serious
concerns that the results announced by the electoral authority did not
reflect the votes of the people. The authority is meant to be an
independent body but the opposition says it acts as an arm of Maduro's
government.
Caracas and Washington have long had an adversarial relationship dating
back to the era of left-wing populist Hugo Chavez. Maduro - a
61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister - first took office
on Chavez's death in 2013 and his 2018 reelection is considered
fraudulent by the United States and others, who call him a dictator.
Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a
third of the population, and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic
relations, crowned by sanctions imposed by the United States, the
European Union and others which have crippled an already struggling oil
industry.
Argentine President Javier Milei called the official result a fraud,
while Costa Rica and Peru rejected it and Chile said it would not accept
any result that was not verifiable.
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition
presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez react after the electoral
authority announced that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won
a third term, during the presidential election, in Caracas,
Venezuela July 29, 2024. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said details from all
polling stations should be presented to guarantee fully verifiable
results. "We ask that the calm and civility with which the election
day took place be maintained," he said.
Russia, Cuba, Honduras and Bolivia cheered Maduro's victory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro and hailed the
two countries' strategic partnership, saying they would continue
their joint work on bilateral and international issues.
"Remember that you are always a welcome guest on Russian soil,"
Putin said.
CUTTING THE CAKE
Maduro reiterated his campaign assertion that Venezuela's electoral
system is transparent.
He will sign a decree on Monday to hold a "great national dialogue,"
he said as he celebrated with supporters before cutting a birthday
cake for his late mentor Chavez, who would have turned 70 on Sunday.
Edison Research published an exit poll showing Gonzalez, a
74-year-old ex-diplomat known for his calm demeanor, had won 65% of
the vote, while Maduro won 31%.
Local firm Meganalisis predicted a 65% vote for Gonzalez and just
under 14% for Maduro.
The opposition and poll observers had raised questions ahead of the
vote as to whether it would be fair, saying decisions by electoral
authorities and the arrests of opposition staff were meant to create
obstacles.
Machado had called on the country's military to uphold the results
of the vote, saying voters had made clear they did not want Maduro.
Venezuela's military has always supported Maduro and there have been
no public signs that leaders of the armed forces are breaking from
the government.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Michael Perry and Angus
MacSwan)
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