Maduro and opposition both claim victory in Venezuela’s presidential election

President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters aft electoral authorities declared him nan victor of nan statesmanlike predetermination successful Caracas, Venezuela connected Monday. (Fernando Vergara/AP)

BOGOTA, Colombia — Electoral authorities claimed that Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s profoundly unpopular president, had won a 3rd word successful Sunday’s election, sparking accusations that his authoritarian authorities had committed monolithic fraud to bargain triumph from guidance campaigner Edmundo González.

After hours of delays and uncertainty, Elvis Amoroso, president of nan National Electoral Council and a adjacent Maduro ally, appeared earlier journalists soon aft midnight connected Monday. He declared that Maduro had won pinch 51% compared to 44% for González, pinch 80% of nan votes counted.

However, guidance leader María Corina Machado insisted that González, a 74-year-old retired diplomat who took Machado’s spot connected nan statesmanlike ballot erstwhile nan authorities banned her from running, had won 70% of nan ballot compared to 30% for Maduro.

“Venezuela has a caller president, and he is Edmundo González,” Machado told a crowded news convention successful Caracas.

As evidence, Machado cited respective exit polls and speedy counts showing González heading toward a landslide victory, arsenic good arsenic insubstantial receipts from voting machines. An exit canvass published by nan U.S. firm Edison Research showed González starring Maduro 65% to 31% while astir each pre-election polls predicted that he would trounce Maduro.

“We won successful each demographic, successful each state,” Machado said. “It was overwhelming. We won and nan full world knows this. Even nan authorities knows what happened.”

The National Electoral Council waited for six hours aft nan polls closed to denote Maduro’s victory, indicating that his soul circle whitethorn person been debating really to grip nan results. After his authorities grounded to derail nan guidance run done soiled tricks and by banning Machado, galore governmental analysts believed that Maduro would edifice to stealing nan election.

“100% predictable,” Eric Farnsworth, vice president of nan Council of nan Americas deliberation tank, said of Maduro’s declare to victory.

Maduro, 61, was first elected successful 2013 pursuing nan decease of his mentor, Hugo Chávez, who founded Venezuela’s socialist gyration successful 1999. But Maduro is wide despised for starring Venezuela into its worst economical situation successful history which prompted astir 8 cardinal Venezuelans, astir a 4th of nan population, to fly nan country. He has besides been indicted by nan U.S. for supplier trafficking and coercion while his authorities is being investigated by nan International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

“I person a cleanable conscience,” Maduro told supporters gathered astatine nan Miraflores statesmanlike palace. “In this caller word that you person fixed me, I promise that I will put my life connected nan statement to toggle shape Venezuela and lead america toward a prosperous early of economical growth, bid and societal happiness.”

The Biden administration, which has threatened to reimpose sanctions connected Venezuela’s captious lipid industry, and different overseas governments instantly cried foul.

“We person superior concerns that nan consequence announced does not bespeak nan will aliases nan votes of nan Venezuelan people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “It’s captious that each ballot is counted reasonably and transparently, that predetermination officials instantly stock accusation pinch nan guidance and electoral observers without hold and that nan electoral authorities people elaborate tabulation of votes.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric wrote connected X: “The Maduro authorities must understand that nan results they person published are difficult to believe. Chile will not admit immoderate results that cannot beryllium verified.”

Brazil, Colombia and different Latin American nations expressed akin concerns.

Anger and vexation pinch Maduro was evident connected Sunday, pinch respective authorities loyalists loudly booed erstwhile they showed up astatine polling places to vote. Confident that González would win, immoderate Venezuelans chanted what has go a celebrated guidance slogan: “It’s going to fall. It’s going to fall. This authorities is going to fall!”

Some Venezuelans were truthful eager to formed their ballots for nan guidance that they lined up astatine polling places nan nighttime earlier nan election. Elidio Santana, who sells bottled h2o connected nan streets of Caracas, stood successful statement for 4 hours to ballot for González.

“We’ve been waiting for 25 years” for a alteration of government, Santana said, adding that a fewer much hours wouldn’t matter. “We are fed up. This state needs a change.”

Of nan estimated 5.5 cardinal voting-age Venezuelans surviving abroad, only about 69,000 were capable to registry to ballot owed to reddish portion put successful spot by nan Maduro regime. One migrant who did negociate to ballot was Carolina Martínez, a 50-year-old caregiver who lives successful neighboring Colombia but returned to Venezuela to formed her ballot. She predicted that a González triumph would person Venezuelans surviving overseas to repatriate.

“A batch of group want to travel backmost to Venezuela and to spot their homeland prosper again,” said Martínez, whose 4 sons besides unrecorded abroad.

But pinch some sides claiming victory, Venezuela could look an extended play of unrest arsenic galore guidance supporters pledged to protestation successful nan streets. González urged them to beryllium serene arsenic nan guidance goes astir gathering evidence, specified arsenic nan insubstantial receipts from voting machines, that he won nan election.

“Our conflict will continue,” González told a news convention early Monday. “We won’t extremity until nan will of nan group is respected.

Carrie Kahn contributed from Caracas.