Venezuela: Maduro Reelected President

“Fascism will not pass in Venezuela, the country of Bolivar and Chavez.” With these words, Nicolas Maduro welcomed the results of the July 28 presidential election, which confirmed his status as the country’s leader.

“With sanctions, with aggression, with threats, they have not succeeded. They have not done it now, and they will never do it with the dignity of the people of Venezuela,” explained the leader, who received 51.2% of the vote.

These were the first words of President Nicolas Maduro, who celebrated with thousands of people gathered in front of the Miraflores Palace after the National Electoral Council announced that “outgoing President Nicolas Maduro received 5,150,092 votes, or 51.2%, while his direct opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia received 4,445,978 votes, or 44.02%.” Voter turnout was 59%.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was unable to run because of the disqualification decision, criticizes and denies Maduro’s victory and says Edmundo Gonzalez is the winner. “We want to tell all Venezuelans and the world that Venezuela has a new president-elect. And that’s Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. We won, and everyone knows it,” Machado said, claiming that up to 70% of the vote went to the opposition candidate.

Congratulations came from Bolivia, and President Luis Arce explained: “We congratulate the people of Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro on his victory in the elections held on July 28. It’s a great way to remember Commander Hugo Chavez. We have been closely following this democratic celebration and are pleased that the will of the Venezuelan people was respected in the vote.” Congratulations also came from Cuba, although in Latin America doubts about the election were expressed by Argentina, Peru, and Chile, whose president Gabriel Boric said the results were “hard to believe.”