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Asharq Al-Awsat
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Venezuela Ruling Party Keeps Control of Legislature amid Opposition Division
Venezuela's ruling socialist party held its significant majority in the National Assembly in a Sunday election, winning nearly 83% of votes according to the electoral authority, in a contest boycotted by some opposition leaders amid deep division among parties opposed to the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Some of the country's major opposition leaders called for voters to abstain in protest of the official results of the July 2024 presidential election, which the opposition says it won but which authorities say was a Maduro victory. Sunday's legislative results will keep the ruling party in control of the attorney general's office and the top court, whose members are elected by lawmakers. Authorities did not give a total number of seats which will be held by each party, but named 40 lawmakers from various parties who have won seats. A coalition considered close to the ruling socialist party won 6.25% of the vote, while an opposition alliance won 5.17%, National Electoral Council (CNE) rector Carlos Quintero said in a declaration broadcast on state television. Turnout to choose 24 state governors and 285 lawmakers was 42.6% of 21 million eligible voters, Quintero said, similar to the turnout in the 2021 elections. Opposition candidates won just one governorship, in the state of Cojedes, west of the capital Caracas, down from the four won by opposition parties in 2021. Opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez called on supporters to abstain from Sunday's vote in protest at the official version of the 2024 election results and what they and rights groups say is a brutal crackdown on the opposition, including detentions this week. Machado, Gonzalez and their Vente Venezuela coalition posted photos throughout the day of what they said were empty polling stations around the country, even as the government extended voting hours, saying turnout was high. Meanwhile, another opposition faction headed by two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and Zulia state governor Manuel Rosales, urged people to vote to avoid the opposition being cut out of all governance. Capriles was elected to the national assembly, while Rosales lost his governor's seat. NEW STATE The opposition and the international community, including the United States, have questioned the 2024 presidential result. Authorities have yet to share detailed tallies from that vote, blaming a cyber attack, while the opposition has published ballot box-level tallies which show a victory for its former candidate Gonzalez. Gonzalez fled to Spain in September, while Machado is in hiding in Venezuela. A governor was elected to represent the new state of Guayana Esequiba despite an order from the International Court of Justice that voting not take place in the region, which is the subject of a territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana. Guyana's parliament on Friday passed a resolution strongly condemning the Venezuelan government's "defiance" of the ICJ order, saying it was a threat to regional peace and stability. The Venezuelan government has said it does not recognize the court's authority in the case. Local Guyanese media reporting from several places in the disputed region said no voting was taking place there on Sunday. The US has increased sanctions on Venezuela since the 2024 elections and the Trump administration has given oil major Chevron until May 27 to wind down its operations there. Maduro, in power since 2013, has always rejected the sanctions by the US and others, calling them illegitimate and an "economic war."
Al Arabiya
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Venezuela's Maduro wins landslide in election boycotted by opposition
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's party on Sunday swept the board in parliamentary and regional elections that were boycotted by the opposition in protest over his disputed re-election last year. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela won 23 out of 24 state governor positions and scored 82.68 percent of the votes cast for lists of National Assembly members, the electoral council (CNE) said. The constituency-level results of the parliamentary vote had yet to be tallied. The main opposition group, led by popular figurehead Maria Corina Machado, had urged voters to stay away to avoid legitimizing what she described as a 'farce' election. AFP journalists who visited polling stations in several cities said turnout was much lower compared to the July 2024 presidential election. The CNE put voter turnout at a little over 42 percent of Venezuela's 21 million eligible voters. The run-up to the vote was marked by mass arrests and a new crackdown on dissent. Over 70 people were arrested on suspicion of planning to 'sabotage' the election. Among those arrested was leading opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa, held on charges of heading the 'terrorist network' behind the alleged plot. Venezuela's authoritarian leftist government frequently alleges foreign-backed, opposition-led initiatives to topple Maduro, who took over on the death of his mentor, socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez in 2013. On Sunday, Maduro hailed the election results as a 'victory of peace and stability' and said it 'proved the power of Chavismo' -- the left-wing, populist political movement founded by his predecessor. 'Farce' The vote was for 285 members of the National Assembly and 24 governors -- including for the first time in Essequibo, an oil-rich region controlled by neighboring Guyana but claimed by Caracas. But many Venezuelans said they lost faith in the electoral process after last July's presidential vote. Electoral authorities quickly declared Maduro the winner of a third six-year term in that election, without releasing detailed results. The opposition published its own tally from individual polling stations, showing a convincing win for its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. The crackdown on post-election protests left 28 dead, hundreds behind bars, and cemented Venezuela's pariah status on the world stage. On Sunday before the results were announced, Maduro shrugged off the opposition boycott. 'When the opponent withdraws from the field, we advance and occupy the terrain,' he said matter-of-factly. Machado published several pictures of deserted polling stations on social media. She said the opposition had shown the election up as a 'grand farce' and called on the armed forces to 'act' against Maduro -- her latest call for them to mutiny. The military has ignored previous such entreaties from Machado. Writing on X, Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain late last year, said the boycott was a 'silent but resounding declaration that the desire for change, dignity and a future remains intact.' 'I'm not going to vote because I voted (in the presidential election) and they stole the elections. So it's really a farce,' said Candelaria Rojas Sierra, a 78-year-old retired civil servant in San Cristobal, on her way to mass to 'pray for Venezuela.' Samadhi Romero, a 32-year-old university student, however defended the election as an 'important process of civic participation.' She voted for Maduro's son, 35-year-old MP Nicolas Maduro Guerra, who was seeking re-election in Caracas. A small opposition faction led by two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles refused to be part of the boycott, arguing that previous voter stayaways had merely allowed Maduro to expand his grip on power. Capriles won a parliament seat in Sunday's vote. Vote in disputed region The election comes as the country's economy -- once the envy of Latin America, now in tatters after years of mismanagement and sanctions -- faces even further turmoil. US President Donald Trump has revoked permission for oil giant Chevron to continue pumping Venezuelan crude, potentially depriving Maduro's administration of its last lifeline. Washington has also revoked deportation protection from 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States and expelled hundreds of others to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Venezuela's elections for the National Assembly and for state governor of Essequibo sent alarm bells clanging internationally. Guyana has administered the region for decades but Caracas has threatened to partially annex it -- a threat that Maduro repeated on Sunday.
Al Jazeera
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Maduro triumphs in Venezuelan election boycotted by opposition
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's governing party has swept parliamentary and regional elections that were boycotted by the opposition. Preliminary results released by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday showed that the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 82.68 percent of votes cast the previous day for seats in the National Assembly. That result ensures that the party will maintain control of key levers of power, including the attorney general's office and the country's top court, whose members are elected by the 285-seat assembly. CNE also said that 23 out of 24 state governor positions were won by the government flagging a setback for the opposition, which previously controlled four states. Turnout in the elections was 8.9 million or roughly 42 percent of 21 million voters eligible to cast their ballots. CNE chief Carlos Quintero noted that was the same figure as in the 2021 elections. However, the country's main opposition leaders had urged voters to boycott the election in protest over July's 2024 presidential election. The opposition insists that it won that race but authorities declared Maduro the winner. Opposition figurehead Maria Corina Machado declared in a post on X late on Sunday that in some areas of the country, up to 85 percent of eligible voters snubbed the election, which she slammed as an 'enormous farce that the regime is trying to stage to bury its defeat' in last year's election. Maduro, however, shrugged off the boycott. 'When the opponent withdraws from the field, we advance and occupy the terrain,' he said matter-of-factly. According to journalists and social media posts, turnout was noticeably low in Venezuela's main cities. Still, images posted by the government party showed scores of people lining up to vote in areas like Trujillo and the Amazons. Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo, reporting from Argentina, noted that during the campaign, the opposition had been divided on the boycott call, making it difficult to present a more forceful challenge against Maduro. She added that most analysts have said that they 'could not guarantee if the elections were free and fair'. Tensions were high on Sunday, with more than 400,000 security agents deployed to monitor the vote and more than 70 people arrested. Among those detained was leading opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa on charges of heading a 'terrorist network' that planned to 'sabotage' the vote. The government, which has warned of foreign-backed coup plots many times in the past, said dozens of suspected mercenaries had entered the country from Colombia, prompting the closure of the busy border with its neighbour until after the election. Maduro's success in recent elections comes despite the decline of the economy, once the envy of Latin America, following years of mismanagement and sanctions, with more on the way. United States President Donald Trump has recently revoked permission for oil giant Chevron to continue pumping Venezuelan crude, potentially depriving Maduro's administration of a vital economic lifeline. Washington has also revoked deportation protection from 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in the US and expelled hundreds of others to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuela ruling party keeps control of legislature amid opposition division
(Reuters) -Venezuela's ruling socialist party held its significant majority in the National Assembly in a Sunday election, winning nearly 83% of votes according to the electoral authority, in a contest boycotted by some opposition leaders amid deep division among parties opposed to the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Some of the country's major opposition leaders called for voters to abstain in protest of the official results of the July 2024 presidential election, which the opposition says it won but which authorities say was a Maduro victory. Sunday's legislative results will keep the ruling party in control of the attorney general's office and the top court, whose members are elected by lawmakers. Authorities did not give a total number of seats which will be held by each party, but named 40 lawmakers from various parties who have won seats. A coalition considered close to the ruling socialist party won 6.25% of the vote, while an opposition alliance won 5.17%, National Electoral Council (CNE) rector Carlos Quintero said in a declaration broadcast on state television. Turnout to choose 24 state governors and 285 lawmakers was 42.6% of 21 million eligible voters, Quintero said, similar to the turnout in the 2021 elections. Opposition candidates won just one governorship, in the state of Cojedes, west of the capital Caracas, down from the four won by opposition parties in 2021. Opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez called on supporters to abstain from Sunday's vote in protest at the official version of the 2024 election results and what they and rights groups say is a brutal crackdown on the opposition, including detentions this week. Machado, Gonzalez and their Vente Venezuela coalition posted photos throughout the day of what they said were empty polling stations around the country, even as the government extended voting hours, saying turnout was high. Meanwhile, another opposition faction headed by two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and Zulia state governor Manuel Rosales, urged people to vote to avoid the opposition being cut out of all governance. Capriles was elected to the national assembly, while Rosales lost his governor's seat. NEW STATE The opposition and the international community, including the United States, have questioned the 2024 presidential result. Authorities have yet to share detailed tallies from that vote, blaming a cyber attack, while the opposition has published ballot box-level tallies which show a victory for its former candidate Gonzalez. Gonzalez fled to Spain in September, while Machado is in hiding in Venezuela. A governor was elected to represent the new state of Guayana Esequiba despite an order from the International Court of Justice that voting not take place in the region, which is the subject of a territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana. Guyana's parliament on Friday passed a resolution strongly condemning the Venezuelan government's "defiance" of the ICJ order, saying it was a threat to regional peace and stability. The Venezuelan government has said it does not recognize the court's authority in the case. Local Guyanese media reporting from several places in the disputed region said no voting was taking place there on Sunday. The U.S. has increased sanctions on Venezuela since the 2024 elections and the Trump administration has given oil major Chevron until May 27 to wind down its operations there. Maduro, in power since 2013, has always rejected the sanctions by the U.S. and others, calling them illegitimate and an "economic war."
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Maduro party eyes big win as Venezuela opposition boycotts vote
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's party was eyeing a landslide victory in legislative and regional elections Sunday, after a wave of arrests of opposition members who called for a massive boycott of the vote. The main opposition group, led by popular figurehead Maria Corina Machado, had urged voters to stay away in protest at Maduro's disputed reelection last year. Among the dozens arrested ahead of Sunday's vote was leading opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa, who was being held on charges of heading a "terrorist network" planning to "sabotage" the elections. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello linked Guanipa, a former lawmaker, to a group of 50 people arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of being mercenaries in the pay of foreign powers. Venezuela, which frequently alleges foreign-backed coup plots, said the suspects entered the country from Colombia and closed the busy border with its neighbor until after the election. Tensions were high on Sunday, with more than 400,000 security agents deployed to monitor the vote. Some 21 million voters were eligible to cast ballots for 285 members of the National Assembly and 24 governors -- including for the first time in Essequibo, an oil-rich region controlled by neighboring Guyana but claimed by Caracas. Turnout was however projected to be just 16 percent, according to pollster Delphos, after the main opposition urged Venezuelans not to legitimize what they see as yet another sham election. - 'Farce' - Many in Venezuela lost any remaining faith they had in the electoral process after last July's presidential vote. Electoral authorities quickly declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed results. The opposition however published its own tally from individual polling stations, showing a convincing win for candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who has since gone into exile abroad. The crackdown on post-election protests left 28 dead, hundreds arrested, and cemented Venezuela's pariah status on the world stage. Opposition leader Machado had slammed this weekend's vote as an "enormous farce that the regime is trying to stage to bury its defeat." On Sunday, she published several pictures of deserted polling places on social media. Polls opened at 6:00 am (1000 GMT), but by midday AFP journalists at polling stations in Caracas, San Cristobal and Barinas reported that just a handful of voters had turned out. "It's an important process of citizen participation," said Samadi Romero, a 32-year-old university student who voted for Maduro's son for the National Assembly. "I'm not going to vote because I voted (in the presidential election) and they stole the elections. So it's really a farce," said Candelaria Rojas Sierra, a 78-year-old retired civil servant in San Cristobal, on her way to mass to "pray for Venezuela." - 'Fight the dictatorship' - Polls officially close at 6:00 pm (2200 GMT). A small opposition faction led by two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles had rejected the boycott call, arguing that previous voter stayaways had merely allowed Maduro to expand his grip on power. "We must vote as an act of resistance, of struggle," said Capriles, who is running for the National Assembly. A message on Guanipa's X account shortly after his arrest declared he had been "kidnapped by the forces of Nicolas Maduro's regime" but would continue the "long fight against the dictatorship." - US blow to oil revenues - Only a handful of countries, including longtime allies Russia and Cuba, have recognized Maduro as the country's rightful leader. Sunday's election comes as the country's economy -- once the envy of Latin America, now in tatters after years of mismanagement and sanctions -- faces even further turmoil. US President Donald Trump has revoked permission for oil giant Chevron to continue pumping Venezuelan crude, potentially depriving Maduro's administration of its last lifeline. Washington has also revoked deportation protection from 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States and expelled hundreds of others to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Particularly closely watched will be the elections for the National Assembly and for state governor of Essequibo. Guyana has administered the region for decades but Caracas has threatened to partially annex it.
