In a powerful display of defiance, thousands rallied in the streets of Caracas this past Saturday, waving the Venezuelan flag and singing the national anthem in support of opposition candidate Edmundo González. This demonstration came in the wake of a controversial presidential election, where President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner without the release of definitive voting tallies to substantiate the claim.
Maduro had promised free and fair elections, but the process was marred by allegations of foul play. These included the arrest of opposition figures, the banning of key opposition leaders from running, the denial of access to opposition witnesses at the centralized vote count, and the disenfranchisement of overseas Venezuelans. Many young opposition supporters have expressed intentions to leave the country if Maduro is re-elected, pointing to the devastating collapse of Venezuela’s economy and violent repression under his rule. An unified opposition movement formed a coalition to challenge Maduro. Its energized campaign stoked hope among a disillusioned populace desperate for change in a country suffering such dire economic straits that some 8 million Venezuelans have fled overseas.
The opposition candidate, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, stepped in after the highly popular, center-right leader Maria Corina Machado was barred from running.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) officially declared Maduro the winner late Sunday, with 80% of ballots counted, stating that Maduro had won 51.2% of the votes, while Gonzalez received 44.2%. However, the opposition has rejected the results, claiming their tallies showed Gonzalez had won. They alleged that their witnesses were denied access to the CNE headquarters as votes were being counted, and that the CNE halted data transmission from polling stations to the central body. The U.S. has recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Edomondo Gonzalez as the winner of the Presidential elections.
The Venezuelan elections also have implications and pressure for the U.S. and other allied countries for incoming immigrants. In the U.S. Border Patrol arrests dropped from 87,000 to around 57,000 in July, marking the lowest monthly tally of the Biden administration. However, this trend may only last for a while, since as many as 17 % of Venezuelans intended to leave the country within six months if Maduro took the presidency, according to a poll.
International reactions have been varied, with many regional and world leaders casting doubt on the results. The Organization of American States (OAS) stated that the election results could not be recognized due to a lack of transparency and evidence. The United Nations called for complete transparency and for the electoral body to guarantee the free expression of the electorate's will.
Once the fifth-largest economy in Latin America, Venezuela has experienced the worst economic collapse of a peacetime country in recent history, brought about by a crash in the price of oil, combined with chronic corruption and mismanagement. Now suffering from chronic shortages of vital goods and soaring inflation, Venezuela has seen millions of its citizens flee, including thousands who have trekked north to the U.S.’s southern border. The U.S. and European Union have imposed sanctions on Maduro’s regime for years, which he blames for the crisis, claiming Venezuela is the victim of an “economic war.”
Despite recent efforts to reduce the cost of living, the outlook remains grim. Venezuela finally curbed hyperinflation that peaked at over 400,000% a year in 2019, with current annual inflation around 50%. Yet, these policies have done little to tackle the economy’s underlying structural problems, primarily its historic dependence on oil.
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