We explain the political crisis between Nicolas Maduro and the opposition, both of whom claim victory

Nicolas Maduro, in power since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013, intends to extend his term until 2030.

A feeling of déjà vu? Venezuela entered a period of uncertainty on Monday, July 29, the day after Nicolas Maduro’s announced re-election for a third term. The opposition also claimed victory and rejected the results announced Sunday evening by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which it said were marred by numerous irregularities. Franceinfo takes stock of the situation.

Nicolas Maduro on course for third term despite catastrophic economic record

It is a little after midnight when the president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, takes the floor. After the counting of 80% of the ballots, this Chavista activist, close to Nicolas Maduro according to The country, proclaims the re-election of the outgoing president with 5.15 million votes (51.2%), against 4.45 million (44.2%) for the opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, 74 years old. According to him, there is no need to wait for the final results: the trend is “irreversible”.

In front of the presidential palace in Caracas, Nicolas Maduro’s supporters are jubilant. On stage, the former bus driver, dressed in a tracksuit in the colours of Venezuela, celebrates his victory: “I can say before the Venezuelan people and the whole world: ‘I am Nicolas Maduro Moros, re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.'” “There will be peace, stability and justice. Peace and respect for the law. I am a man of peace and dialogue.”he adds.

The day after this sequence, the National Electoral Council persists and signs: “Venezuelans have expressed their absolute will by electing Nicolas Maduro (…) for the term of office 2025-2031. We proclaim Nicolas Maduro Moros President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”declared Elvis Amoroso, during a ceremony in the presence of Hugo Chavez’s heir.

After 11 years in power, Nicolas Maduro intends to run for another term, despite a catastrophic economic record. The GDP of the country, long considered one of the richest in Latin America, has collapsed by 80%, report The echoes. As a result, more than 7.7 million people have left the country since 2015, or more than one in four Venezuelans, according to the UN. Adding to these macroeconomic difficulties is another endemic problem: corruption. Caracas ranks 177th out of 180 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, calculated by the NGO Transparency International.

Opposition denounces fraud and also claims victory

On Sunday, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado spoke out to announce her candidate’s victory and denounce electoral fraud. “Venezuela has a new elected president and it is Edmundo Gonzalez”she told the media, affirming that the representative of the Democratic United Platform (PUD) had collected nearly “70% of the votes.” “The results cannot be hidden. The country has chosen peaceful change”also claimed Edmundo Gonzalez on X.

The opposition denounced several irregularities during the vote. “All the rules have been violated to the point that the majority of the reports have not yet been delivered”according to Edmundo Gonzalez. In the capital, several dozen motorcyclists and motorists intimidated citizens as well as opposition observers at a polling station, the Argentine news site infobae reported.

Before the vote, polls predicted a massive victory forEdmundo Gonzalez, reported the American channel CNN. This former diplomat became the opposition candidate after the invalidation of Maria Corina Machado’s candidacy. In a few weeks, this unknown “has become a powerful emblem of change”according to Venezuelan writer Elias Pino Iturrieta, quoted by the daily The Country.

The election campaign took place in a particularly tense climate. According to the human rights NGO Foro Penal, 135 people were arrested in connection with the opposition campaign. At the end of May, the National Electoral Council withdrew its invitation to the EU to send observers to attend the vote.

European Union and United States demand transparency

Isolated on the international scene, the Venezuelan head of state has received the support of several authoritarian regimes. Chinese diplomacy has conveyed to Nicolas Maduro Beijing’s congratulations for his “victory” And “for the smooth running of his presidential election”. A traditional ally of Caracas, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called his “brother” After “the historic electoral triumph achieved”.

A land of asylum for many Venezuelan refugees since the mid-2010s, Colombia has called on X “to an independent audit (…) as soon as possible”. “The election results of such an important day must have all possible credibility and legitimacy for the good of the region and, above all, of the people. Venezuelan”according to Bogota.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was concerned about the results announced by electoral authorities. “It is essential that every vote is counted fairly and transparently”he said, demanding the sharing of “information with the opposition and independent observers”In Europe, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, also called for transparency in the electoral process. “The people voted peacefully and in large numbers (…). Their will must be respected”he wrote on X. On Monday evening, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in turn called for a “total transparency”.