Electoral authority ratifies Nicolas Maduro’s victory, several countries recognize his opponent’s victory

The United States, Peru, Argentina and Uruguay denounce massive fraud by the re-elected socialist president. The opposition calls for demonstrations.

His victory is sealed, but the protest remains. The Venezuelan electoral authority confirmed the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro with 52% of the vote, against opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (43% of the vote), who denounces fraud and claims victory, Friday, August 2.

The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) made the announcement after 97% of the ballots had been counted, giving 6.4 million votes to Maduro and 5.3 million to his rival. The CNE has not released detailed results by polling station, while the opposition says it has gathered more than 80% of the ballots from the stations. According to this count, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia received 67% of the votes.

Several countries have accused the socialist president, in power since 2013, of massive fraud, and claimed that his opponent had won. “Based on overwhelming evidence, it is clear to Uruguay that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia obtained the majority of votes in the presidential elections in Venezuela”for example, wrote the Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar Paganini, on the social network X.

Argentina also spoke out in favor of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Diana Mondino, on X, as did Peru. “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in the July 28 presidential election.”the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, had already declared on Thursday.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has called for protests on Saturday “in all cities” of the country to denounce the fraud that it claims allowed Maduro to be re-elected. Thousands of people were arrested during spontaneous demonstrations that broke out in the country in the two days following the vote, leaving at least 11 civilians dead, according to human rights organizations.