BTN News: Venezuela is seeing a wave of protests after the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the recent presidential election. The opposition and some international groups believe there was cheating in the election, which has caused many people to be upset and take to the streets.
On Monday, large protests happened in Caracas and other parts of the country. Earlier that day, the CNE said Maduro had won a third term, from 2025 to 2030. The head of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, said Maduro had an “irreversible” lead over his main opponent, Edmundo González.
Many videos on social media show people shouting against Maduro, blocking streets, and burning tires. These protests are happening in areas that usually support the government. In one video, protesters are seen bringing down a statue of former President Hugo Chávez in the city of Coro. This was confirmed by journalist Irene Revilla.
In parts of Caracas like Catia, José Félix Ribas de Petare, and El Valle, protesters tore down Maduro’s campaign posters and demanded respect for their votes. Many protesters also gathered in central Caracas near important government buildings like the presidential palace of Miraflores and the National Assembly.
In a live broadcast, Maduro condemned the protests and called them violent acts. He accused the protesters of being under the influence of drugs and claimed, without proof, that they were funded by the opposition and the U.S. government. Maduro said these actions were an attempt to overthrow his government and called on his supporters to mobilize. He also said several protesters had been arrested and would be charged with vandalism.
The CNE announced that Maduro won with 51.2% of the votes, while González received 44.2%, with 80% of the votes counted. However, González and opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was banned from running despite winning the primaries, rejected the results. Machado claimed their own counts showed 70% of the votes for González and only 30% for Maduro. The opposition demanded the release of all voting records and claimed their observers were harassed at polling stations.
By Monday afternoon, Machado and González announced they had collected 70% of the voting receipts. They said these receipts showed a clear victory for their party, with over six million votes compared to Maduro’s two million. They called for a peaceful protest on Tuesday to challenge the election results.
The CNE has not released the official voting records yet. This has led many international leaders to question the election’s transparency and call for vote verification. Countries like Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica, and the United States have expressed their doubts. However, nations such as China, Russia, and Nicaragua have congratulated Maduro on his victory.
