Opposition boycott gifts Venezuelan ruling party absolute majority
Divisions in Venezuela 's opposition were laid bare Monday as it counted the cost of a ballot boycott that allowed authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro 's party to sweep regional and parliamentary elections.
With the opposition virtually absent from the ballot, Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) romped to victory in Sunday's vote for state governors and members of the National Assembly.
The party swept to victory in 23 of the South American country's 24 states, and garnered an absolute majority in parliament until 2031 with more than 80 percent of the votes cast, according to provisional results from the CNE electoral authority.
Turnout was lower than for the July 2024 presidential election in which Maduro claims to have won a third successive term, but the opposition and much of the international community says he stole.
08:10
The CNE, accused of being under Maduro's thumb, put Sunday's voter participation at a little over 42 percent.
The main opposition group, led by popular figurehead Maria Corina Machado, had urged voters to stay away to avoid legitimizing a vote she described as a "farce."
But a smaller opposition faction, led by two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, opted to participate, arguing that previous boycotts had merely allowed Maduro to tighten his grip on power.
On Monday, Capriles, who won an assembly seat, lamented the landslide win for "Chavismo" -- the populist socialist movement founded by Maduro's firebrand predecessor Hugo Chavez.
"This was a predictable outcome. Abstention won, and with it the regime and those who promoted it," Capriles wrote on X, thanking opposition supporters "who went against the current" by casting a ballot.
Maduro's son, 35-year-old MP Nicolas Maduro Guerra, and First Lady Cilia Flores were among those to retain their assembly seats.
National Assembly president and key Maduro ally Jorge Rodriguez said the ruling party's coalition won 256 out of 285 seats in parliament, although the CNE had not released its final tally of results.
Dozens of arrests
The run-up to the election was marked by mass arrests and a fresh crackdown on dissent.
More than 70 people were arrested last week on suspicion of planning to "sabotage" the vote. They included opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa, held on accusations of heading a "terrorist network."
Venezuela's government, which frequently alleges foreign-backed, opposition-led initiatives to topple Maduro, deployed more than 400,000 armed personnel on election day.
Caracas also suspended flight connections with Colombia and restricted border crossings.
"This victory is the victory of peace and stability for all of Venezuela," Maduro said after the vote. "Peace, peace, peace!"
Many opposition supporters said they could not countenance voting again after last July's showdown in which the CNE quickly declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed results.
The opposition published its own tally from individual polling stations, showing a convincing win for its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
A crackdown on post-election protests left 28 dead, hundreds behind bars, and saw worldwide condemnation of alleged rights abuses and lack of transparency around the results.
Machado said Sunday the opposition boycott had exposed the election as a "grand farce" and called again, in vain, on the armed forces to turn against Maduro.
Writing on X, Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last year, said the boycott was a "silent but resounding declaration that the desire for change, dignity and a future remains intact."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
a day ago
- Fashion Network
France's Senate debates new fast-fashion restrictions
After months of delays in Parliament, France's Senate is reviewing a bill on Monday to curb the rise of fast fashion. The legislation targets low-cost, short-lived clothing imported in massive volumes from China, with fast-fashion giant Shein at the center of the debate. Cheap, low-quality, easy to buy, highly polluting and constantly renewed — such garments now flood the market and challenge traditional players in the textile industry. But will their unchecked flow into France finally be regulated? That is the aim of the bill under debate Monday evening in the upper house. Originally introduced by Horizons party lawmaker Anne-Cécile Violland, the proposal to reduce the textile industry's environmental impact was passed by the National Assembly in March 2024 but had since stalled in the Senate. A formal vote is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10. The issue is urgent. Between 2010 and 2023, the volume of clothing released on the French market rose from 2.3 billion to 3.2 billion units. According to France's environment agency Ademe, more than 48 garments per person are placed on the market annually, and 35 are discarded every second. 'These giants of ultra-fast fashion are invading the market unchecked. We need to establish rules and hit them as hard as possible,' said Republican Senator Sylvie Valente Le Hir, who is presenting the bill in the Senate. Also denouncing what she called an 'invasion,' Minister for Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher emphasized during a visit to the Rhône region on Monday that the textile industry is 'the most polluting sector in the world,' particularly in terms of carbon emissions. In the face of this 'unstoppable wave' of products 'that don't last,' the minister praised the bill as 'a very bold law' — the first of its kind in Europe — though she acknowledged it 'won't solve everything.' Targeting the ultra-disposable Among the key measures in the bill is an official definition of 'fast fashion,' with criteria based on production volume, frequency of collection turnover, product lifespan, and the lack of incentive to repair. Companies identified under these criteria would be required to raise consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their clothing. The proposal also introduces stricter penalties through a revised 'bonus-malus' system that factors in the environmental costs of overproduction. However, differences have emerged between the National Assembly and the Senate. While the Assembly favors linking penalties to a new environmental labeling system, the Senate — in agreement with the government — removed this reference during committee review. It prefers criteria tied to durability and business practices. This updated version aims to specifically target the 'ultra-fast' fashion of Asian giants, particularly Shein. According to the Senate committee's rapporteurs, a framework has been designed to clearly distinguish ultra-fast fashion giants — for whom being a multi-brand platform is merely a legal loophole — from legitimate marketplaces. In doing so, the Senate hopes to protect European and French retailers that may have been unintentionally affected by the Assembly's version, including chains like Kiabi, Zara and H&M. 'We're drawing a clear line between European express fashion retailers and ultra-fast fashion platforms,' said Senator Valente Le Hir. 'We'll use a defined threshold of daily product listings, to be set by decree, to distinguish between the two. Express fashion retailers may release 50 to 100 new items a day, while ultra-fast fashion platforms can launch as many as 10,000 — making the distinction relatively easy to formalize. 'Across local communities, express fashion brands play a role in keeping shopping malls, retail parks, and town centers active. We want to support that. These retailers are already subject to regulatory oversight. They're not perfect, but they operate within a monitored framework. Ultra-fast fashion, on the other hand, produces massive waste. A low price often comes with a very high cost.' As expected, the Senate proposed its own version of the text after committee review, which now serves as the foundation for this week's debates in the upper house. More than 100 amendments were filed by senators, along with around 15 by the government. Advertising and lobbying Several points are expected to spark intense debate. The environmental and human rights coalition Stop Fast Fashion — which includes organizations such as Emmaüs and France Nature Environnement — has warned that the Senate's revisions could turn the bill into 'an empty shell with no deterrent power.' One of the key questions will be whether fast-fashion brands should be banned entirely from advertising. The Senate majority — a center-right alliance — has rejected a full advertising ban, arguing that it could infringe on entrepreneurial freedom and raise constitutional concerns. 'We want a law that can be implemented quickly,' Valente Le Hir told reporters. 'That's what brands and retailers are asking for.' As a compromise, she proposed restricting the ban to social media influencers. However, the government supports a total ban and plans to push for its reinstatement, backed by left-wing parties. Behind the scenes, lawmakers have pointed to intense lobbying by fast-fashion companies — particularly Shein, which recently appointed former Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to an advisory committee on corporate social responsibility. 'This distorts the process and creates the impression that hiring a former minister is enough to influence lawmakers. That shows a poor understanding of how the Senate works,' said Republican Senator Didier Mandelli on Monday. Once the bill passes the Senate, it will move to a joint committee where representatives from both chambers will finalize the text. With AFP
Fashion Network
a day ago
- Fashion Network
France's Senate debates new fast-fashion restrictions
After months of delays in Parliament, France's Senate is reviewing a bill on Monday to curb the rise of fast fashion. The legislation targets low-cost, short-lived clothing imported in massive volumes from China, with fast-fashion giant Shein at the center of the debate. Cheap, low-quality, easy to buy, highly polluting and constantly renewed — such garments now flood the market and challenge traditional players in the textile industry. But will their unchecked flow into France finally be regulated? That is the aim of the bill under debate Monday evening in the upper house. Originally introduced by Horizons party lawmaker Anne-Cécile Violland, the proposal to reduce the textile industry's environmental impact was passed by the National Assembly in March 2024 but had since stalled in the Senate. A formal vote is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10. The issue is urgent. Between 2010 and 2023, the volume of clothing released on the French market rose from 2.3 billion to 3.2 billion units. According to France's environment agency Ademe, more than 48 garments per person are placed on the market annually, and 35 are discarded every second. 'These giants of ultra-fast fashion are invading the market unchecked. We need to establish rules and hit them as hard as possible,' said Republican Senator Sylvie Valente Le Hir, who is presenting the bill in the Senate. Also denouncing what she called an 'invasion,' Minister for Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher emphasized during a visit to the Rhône region on Monday that the textile industry is 'the most polluting sector in the world,' particularly in terms of carbon emissions. In the face of this 'unstoppable wave' of products 'that don't last,' the minister praised the bill as 'a very bold law' — the first of its kind in Europe — though she acknowledged it 'won't solve everything.' Targeting the ultra-disposable Among the key measures in the bill is an official definition of 'fast fashion,' with criteria based on production volume, frequency of collection turnover, product lifespan, and the lack of incentive to repair. Companies identified under these criteria would be required to raise consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their clothing. The proposal also introduces stricter penalties through a revised 'bonus-malus' system that factors in the environmental costs of overproduction. However, differences have emerged between the National Assembly and the Senate. While the Assembly favors linking penalties to a new environmental labeling system, the Senate — in agreement with the government — removed this reference during committee review. It prefers criteria tied to durability and business practices. This updated version aims to specifically target the 'ultra-fast' fashion of Asian giants, particularly Shein. According to the Senate committee's rapporteurs, a framework has been designed to clearly distinguish ultra-fast fashion giants — for whom being a multi-brand platform is merely a legal loophole — from legitimate marketplaces. In doing so, the Senate hopes to protect European and French retailers that may have been unintentionally affected by the Assembly's version, including chains like Kiabi, Zara and H&M. 'We're drawing a clear line between European express fashion retailers and ultra-fast fashion platforms,' said Senator Valente Le Hir. 'We'll use a defined threshold of daily product listings, to be set by decree, to distinguish between the two. Express fashion retailers may release 50 to 100 new items a day, while ultra-fast fashion platforms can launch as many as 10,000 — making the distinction relatively easy to formalize. 'Across local communities, express fashion brands play a role in keeping shopping malls, retail parks, and town centers active. We want to support that. These retailers are already subject to regulatory oversight. They're not perfect, but they operate within a monitored framework. Ultra-fast fashion, on the other hand, produces massive waste. A low price often comes with a very high cost.' As expected, the Senate proposed its own version of the text after committee review, which now serves as the foundation for this week's debates in the upper house. More than 100 amendments were filed by senators, along with around 15 by the government. Advertising and lobbying Several points are expected to spark intense debate. The environmental and human rights coalition Stop Fast Fashion — which includes organizations such as Emmaüs and France Nature Environnement — has warned that the Senate's revisions could turn the bill into 'an empty shell with no deterrent power.' One of the key questions will be whether fast-fashion brands should be banned entirely from advertising. The Senate majority — a center-right alliance — has rejected a full advertising ban, arguing that it could infringe on entrepreneurial freedom and raise constitutional concerns. 'We want a law that can be implemented quickly,' Valente Le Hir told reporters. 'That's what brands and retailers are asking for.' As a compromise, she proposed restricting the ban to social media influencers. However, the government supports a total ban and plans to push for its reinstatement, backed by left-wing parties. Behind the scenes, lawmakers have pointed to intense lobbying by fast-fashion companies — particularly Shein, which recently appointed former Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to an advisory committee on corporate social responsibility. 'This distorts the process and creates the impression that hiring a former minister is enough to influence lawmakers. That shows a poor understanding of how the Senate works,' said Republican Senator Didier Mandelli on Monday. Once the bill passes the Senate, it will move to a joint committee where representatives from both chambers will finalize the text. With AFP
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
French lawmakers to promote Dreyfus 130 years after anti-Semitic scandal
The French parliament is set on Monday to back a bill that would promote Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army captain wrongly convicted for treason in 1894, to the rank of brigadier general, in an act of historical reparation for one of the most notorious acts of anti-Semitism in the country's history. The lower house National Assembly is expected in a first reading to unanimously approve the legislation, which was put forward by former prime minister Gabriel Attal who leads President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance party. The bill will then head to the upper house Senate for debate on a date yet to be fixed. The symbolic promotion of Dreyfus, whose condemnation came against a backdrop of the late 19 th century's rampant anti-Semitism in the French army and wider society, comes at a time of growing alarm over hate crimes targeting Jews in the country. 'Promoting Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of Brigadier General would constitute an act of reparation, a recognition of his merits, and a tribute to his commitment to the Republic,' said Attal, who was France's youngest prime minister during a spell in office that lasted less than eight months last year. 'The anti-Semitism that hit Alfred Dreyfus is not a thing of the past,' added Attal, whose late father was Jewish, adding that France must reaffirm its 'absolute commitment against all forms of discrimination'. 'J'accuse' Dreyfus, a 36-year-old army captain from the Alsace region of eastern France, was accused in October 1894 of passing secret information on new artillery equipment to the German military attache. The accusation was based on a comparison of handwriting on a document found in the German's waste paper basket in Paris. Dreyfus was put on trial, amid a virulent anti-Semitic press campaign. But novelist Emile Zola then penned the famous ' J'accuse ' ('I accuse...') pamphlet in favour of the captain. Despite a lack of evidence, Dreyfus was convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment in the infamous Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana and publicly stripped of his rank. But Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart, head of the intelligence services, reinvestigated the case in secret and discovered the handwriting on the incriminating message was that of another officer, Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. When Picquart presented the evidence to the general staff of the French army, he himself was driven out of the military and jailed for a year, while Esterhazy was acquitted. In June 1899, Dreyfus was brought back to France for a second trial. He was initially found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, before being officially pardoned—though not cleared of the charges. Only in 1906, after many twists, did the high court of appeal overturn the original verdict, exonerating Dreyfus. He was reinstated with the rank of major. He served during World War I and died in 1935, aged 76. But the backers of the new bill believe that in a society without discrimination he would have risen to the top of the French army. 'Still relevant today' The rapporteur of the proposed law, Renaissance lawmaker Charles Sitzenstuhl, said there remained an 'injustice' as Dreyfus had not undergone 'a complete career reconstruction'. Sitzenstuhl also suggested while the bill was being debated at parliament's defence committee—where it won overwhelming approval—that Dreyfus could be entombed in the Pantheon, the Paris mausoleum reserved for France's greatest heroes. Such a decision rests with President Emmanuel Macron but a source close to him, asking not to be named, told AFP that the head of state's priority 'at this stage is to bring to life the values of Dreyfusism, a fight that is still relevant today for truth and justice, against anti-Semitism and arbitrariness'. France is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States, as well as the largest Muslim community in the European Union. There has been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip. France's Holocaust memorial and three Paris synagogues and a restaurant were vandalised with paint overnight Saturday, in what the Israeli embassy denounced as a 'coordinated anti-Semitic attack'.
