P rotests broke out in several Venezuelan cities on Monday after the country's electoral authority declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential race, amid widespread accusations of electoral fraud.
In Caracas, security forces used tear gas to disperse a large crowd of protesters, who were seen marching down a main road, banging pots and pans in anger over Maduro’s victory. The human rights organization PROVEA reported that pro-Maduro armed groups shot at peaceful demonstrators on Avenue Urdaneta.
Protests also erupted in Maracay, where opposition activist Esthefania Natera stated that people took to the streets to “demand the truth because we know the real results.” In the coastal state of Falcón, demonstrators toppled a statue of Maduro, as seen in videos circulating on social media.
Analysts warn that there could be a new wave of unrest if protests against the regime become widespread. Previous street demonstrations have been violently suppressed by the military, which has long supported Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
On Monday night, Maduro claimed his government “knows how to confront this situation and defeat those who are violent,” alleging without evidence that most protesters were hate-filled criminals and that their plan was orchestrated by the United States.
Earlier in the day, Maduro was formally declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is known to be stacked with Maduro allies and has yet to release final vote tallies from Sunday’s election.
CNE president Elvis Amoroso praised Venezuela’s electoral system, calling it “the best in the world,” during the announcement. However, the opposition has alleged irregularities, stating that its witnesses were denied access to CNE headquarters during the vote count and that the electoral authority obstructed the processing of votes. The government has previously denied similar allegations of vote-rigging.
The opposition coalition, led by Maria Corina Machado, rejected Maduro’s victory. Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claimed their campaign had gathered enough vote tallies to prove Gonzalez’s win. On Monday, they reported obtaining over 73% of the tally sheets, showing more than 6 million votes for Gonzalez compared to 2.7 million for Maduro.
“I speak to you from a place of tranquility and truth. I want to tell you, responsibly, that we will respect the will expressed yesterday,” Gonzalez stated from his campaign headquarters in Caracas. Machado added that all the tallies were verified and uploaded to a secure web portal, with global leaders monitoring the results.
The opposition called for more nationwide demonstrations on Tuesday.
In response, Jorge Rodriguez, deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela (a body loyal to Maduro), said the latest CNE results, with 80% of the tallies counted, showed Maduro leading with 51.2% of the votes, followed by Gonzalez with 44.2%.
The United States, along with other regional leaders, has questioned the validity of the result, calling on Venezuela’s government to release detailed data from the presidential election. Senior Biden administration officials emphasized that releasing precinct-level results is required under Venezuelan law and should be done immediately. They did not rule out the possibility of sanctions if the results are deemed fraudulent.
Under Maduro’s regime, up to 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country due to poverty and economic mismanagement. Should Maduro remain in power, a recent poll suggests that up to a third of the population is considering leaving the country.
If inaugurated next January, this would be Maduro’s third consecutive six-year term, continuing the left-wing populist ideology known as “Chavismo.” Despite Venezuela’s severe economic crisis, Maduro has blamed foreign sanctions for the downturn.
The Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into alleged attempts to sabotage Sunday’s presidential election, citing attacks on the electrical and data transmission systems, echoing Maduro’s claims.
International reactions have been mixed, with global allies such as Russia, China, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Honduras congratulating Maduro on his victory. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in Maduro's continued leadership, inviting him as a “welcome guest on Russian soil.”
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