Venezuela Opposition Claims Election Victory Amid Protests

In the early hours of Monday, Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), aligned with President Nicolás Maduro's Chavista government, announced that Maduro secured 51.2% of the vote in the recent presidential election. His main opponent, Edmundo González Urrutia, garnered 44.2%. The election was marred by controversy, as opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from running, claimed that her party had received 73.2% of the voting tallies, asserting that González actually won with 6.27 million votes compared to Maduro's 2.75 million. The election was reportedly the result of a secret agreement between the United States and the Chavista government, aimed at restoring democratic norms in Venezuela. However, the opposition expressed skepticism about the fairness of the electoral process, citing obstacles such as the arrest of opposition staff and restricted access for vote observers. Despite the CNE's declaration of Maduro's victory, Machado and her supporters alleged that the electoral authority manipulated the results, with some polling companies accused of being fraudulent. Following the announcement, protests erupted across Venezuela, with demonstrators gathering in cities including Caracas. Tensions escalated, resulting in at least two fatalities linked to the vote count and subsequent unrest. Machado called on the military to uphold the election results, while Maduro warned against violence, emphasizing his administration's resolve to confront any threats. The Carter Center, which monitored the election, urged the CNE to release detailed results by polling station to ensure transparency.