The Venezuelan government has announced official election results shortly after midnight: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term with 51% of the vote, announced the country’s electoral authority, with 80% of ballot boxes counted. But there are widespread US based reports that several key exit polls pointed to a huge opposition upset victory by Edmundo González.
The opposition is claiming victory and that the election has been stolen amid reports that Maduro’s security forces have deployed significant numbers of armored vehicles and heavily armed-police to the streets of Caracas ahead of likely unrest.
The opposition is further calling on the military to turn against Maduro and back the ‘rightful’ victory of Gonzalez.
egardless of what actually happen or what will happen in terms of the possibility of violence, it’s clear that the leftist and socialist Venezuelan government just suffered its most significant electoral test and shock in decades.
Some regional and external governments have signaled they will not recognize Maduro’s ‘win’…
The populace could be gearing up for a fight, but if violence doesn’t spiral within the next 24-48 hours, the situation is likely to remain stable. All eyes will also be on Washington Monday, waiting to see how forcefully the US administration condemns the outcome.
Meanwhile, an interesting recent admission and revelation…
Ahead of Venezuela's election, John Bolton admitted to the Washington Post that he knew that the Trump admin's crippling sanctions and coup attempt against Venezuela would destroy its economy and force millions to flee:
“There was no doubt the sanctions, along with the general… pic.twitter.com/woW7cVYlf3
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 29, 2024
