27-05-2025
In Venezuela, Maduro claims landslide win in elections amid opposition boycott
As expected, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro secured a sweeping victory in the legislative and regional elections held on Sunday, May 25, which part of the opposition had called to boycott. With more than 90% of ballots counted, the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV, United Socialist Party of Venezuela) won 23 out of 24 governorships and a commanding majority in the Asamblea Nacional. Chavism, the political movement founded by Hugo Chávez, received 82.68% of the vote, winning 40 out of 50 seats in the national constituency – the regional constituencies have yet to be allocated. According to the Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE, National Electoral Council), voter turnout reached 42.6%. The opposition, which advocated abstention, contested this figure, highlighting inconsistencies (the total number of votes cast does not match the reported turnout) and portrayed the low turnout observed on the ground as a victory for their movement.
This regional and legislative election was the first held since the contentious July 28, 2024, presidential election and the highly disputed re-election of Maduro. The victory claimed by Chavism could not erase the president's lack of legitimacy or the looming economic challenges he faced.
