Latest news with #oposición
Reuters
a day ago
- General
- Reuters
Mexico's judicial election turnout likely around 13%, electoral authority says
MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - Mexico's INE electoral authority said on Monday that turnout for Sunday's judicial election was likely between 12.57% and 13.32%, adding that thousands of official across the country are working to "give certainty" to the votes citizens cast in the ballot. Counting is set to conclude on June 15, but INE officials estimated the turnout using a calculation based on several samples across the country. Mexicans had a day earlier voted in the country's first ever judicial elections to elect 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all Supreme Court justices, but pollsters had warned of poor turnout over boycott calls by the opposition and the complexity of voting for a large number of candidates.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Venezuela's ruling party claims victory despite opposition boycott
Venezuela's ruling party is celebrating what it has described as "an overwhelming victory" in regional and parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by the majority of opposition electoral council (CNE), which is dominated by government loyalists, says candidates for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) - President Nicolás Maduro's party - won the race for governor in 23 out of the country's 24 to the CNE, the ruling coalition also won 82.68% of the votes cast for the National Assembly, Venezuela's legislative body. The main opposition parties called the elections a "farce". Opposition leader, María Corina Machado, said turnout had been below 15%. "More than 85% of Venezuelans did not obey this regime and said 'no'," Machado said about those who journalists who visited polling stations throughout the day said that they saw no queues and fewer people turning out than for the presidential election last CNE meanwhile put the turn-out at 42.6%.The opposition has long questioned the independence of the CNE, which is led by Elvis Amoroso, a former legal counsel to President CNE came in for widespread international criticism in last year when it declared Mr Maduro the winner of the presidential election without ever providing the detailed voting tallies to back up their claim. Venezuela's opposition, meanwhile, published voting tallies it had gathered with the help of official election observers which showed that its candidate, Edmundo González, was the overwhelming winner. Amid the wave of repression and arrests which followed the presidential election, González went into exile to Spain. Machado, who threw her weight behind presidential hopeful Edmundo González after she was barred from running for public office, remained in was the main advocate for boycotting this Sunday's legislative and gubernatorial elections, saying that the result of July's presidential election should be respected before any new elections are held."We voted on 28 July. On 25 May, we won't vote," she said in a video message shared earlier this month. However, a handful of opposition politicians did run for office, arguing that leaving the field open to government candidates was a them were former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, Zulia state governor Manuel Rosales and Juan Requesens, who was jailed by the Maduro government for allegedly taking part in a 2018 drone attack on the president. Capriles told Spanish daily El País that for him "voting in Venezuela is an expression of resistance, of resilience, of not giving up".Their decision to stand in the elections was criticised by those calling for a boycott, with Machado saying they had "betrayed the cause". With turnout low, President Maduro's PSUV party sailed to victory in 23 of the 24 gubernatorial races, up from the 20 governor posts it previously to the preliminary results of the legislative election, the coalition backing President Maduro won an absolute majority of the 285 seats. But three politicians from Henrique Capriles' opposition UNT party were also voted into the National Assembly, including Capriles himself. Maduro has hailed the result as a "victory of peace and stability" and celebrated the fact that his party had regained control of the states of Zulia and, in particular, Barinas, the home state of his predecessor in office and political mentor, Hugo Chá the state of Cojedes will now be in opposition hands, following the re-election of opposition candidate Alberto Galíndez. Sunday's vote was preceded by a wave of arrests, which saw more than 70 people with links to the opposition detained for allegedly "planning to sabotage the election".Among those detained is Juan Pablo Guanipa, 60, a close ally of María Corina Machado. The interior minister accused him of being "one of the leaders of this terrorist network" which he claimed had been plotting to disrupt the election by planting bombs at key sites. Machado said his arrest and those of dozens of others was "state terrorism, pure and simple". Venezuelan voters were also asked to choose representatives for the Essequibo region, a territory long administered and controlled by neighbouring Guyana which Venezuela claims as its own. The territorial dispute has been submitted by Guyana to the International Court of Justice, which had ordered Venezuela to refrain from conducting elections for representatives for the region, an order which the Maduro government Venezuela is not in control of the Essequibo, there were no polling stations in the territory nor did the people living there get a chance to vote. Instead, voters in a small district expressly created for the purpose on the Venezuelan side of the border were asked to cast their vote, which will have only symbolic value. Neil Villamizar, an admiral loyal to President Maduro, won the unusual vote and will now be declared "governor of Essequibo" by the Venezuelan government even though he has no power or control over the territory, which remains in Guyanese hands. The president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, has denounced the move as a "scandalous, false, propagandistic, opportunistic" and has said he will "do everything to ensure our territorial integrity and sovereignty is kept intact".
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.
Al Jazeera
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Venezuelans vote amid boycott calls and fears of government repression
Venezuelans are casting their ballots in legislative and regional elections under the shadow of a heightened government crackdown and opposition leaders calling for a boycott. Sunday's elections are the first to allow comprehensive voter participation since last year's disputed presidential vote, which President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won despite contradictory evidence. It is also taking place two days after the government detained dozens of people, including a prominent opposition leader, and accused them of being linked to an alleged plot to hinder the vote. In the first hours after the polls opened, members of the military reportedly outnumbered voters in some voting centres in the capital, Caracas. No lines formed outside the polling stations, including the country's largest – a stark contrast with the hundreds of people gathered around the same time for the July 28 presidential election. Many people appeared to have lost faith in the electoral process. 'I am not going to vote after they stole the elections last year. For what? I don't want to be disappointed again,' Caracas resident Paula Aranguren said. In the eyes of the opposition, voter participation legitimises Maduro's claim to power and what they brand as his government's repressive apparatus. After the presidential election, 25 people were reportedly killed and more than 2,000 people were detained – including protesters, poll workers, political activists and minors – to quash dissent. The government also issued arrest warrants against opposition leaders, levelling charges against them ranging from conspiracy to falsifying records. Despite the risks, campaigning for some has remained a key form of resistance against the government. 'History is full of evidence that voting is an instrument towards democracy,' Henrique Capriles, a former opposition presidential candidate now running for a seat in the National Assembly, told Al Jazeera. 'I believe the way we stood for our rights last year kept alive the peaceful fight for our constitution because voting is what we have left to manifest our rejection of Maduro and his government,' Capriles said. Meanwhile, the ruling party is touting an overwhelming victory across the country, just as it has done in previous regional elections. A nationwide poll conducted from April 29 to May 4 by the Venezuela-based research firm Delphos showed only 15.9 percent of voters expressed a high probability of voting on Sunday. Of those, 74.2 percent said they would vote for the candidates of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela and its allies while 13.8 percent said they would vote for contenders associated with two opposition leaders who are not boycotting the elections. Maduro accuses the opposition of attempts to destabilise the country. 'The death throes of fascism have tried to bring in mercenaries, and today, we have already captured more than 50 mercenaries who came in to plant bombs or launch violent attacks in the country,' he told supporters before election day. Political analysts said the chances that free and fair elections would take place are practically nonexistent. 'There won't be witnesses at the table, very few witnesses. Nobody wants to be a witness,' political analyst Benigno Alarcon told Al Jazeera, adding that low voter turnout, no understanding of who the candidates are and the lack of international observers are likely going to make the elections unfair. Some voters who cast ballots on Sunday said they did so out of fear of losing their government jobs or food and other state-controlled benefits. 'Most of my friends aren't going to vote, not even a blank vote,' state employee Miguel Otero, 69, told The Associated Press news agency. 'But we must comply. We have to send the photo [showing] I'm here at the polling station now.'
