Nicol谩s Maduro was declared the winner in Venezuela鈥檚 presidential election on Sunday, even as his opponents were preparing to dispute the results, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will determine whether the South American nation transitions away from one-party rule.
Shortly after midnight, the 春色直播 Electoral Council said Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming the main opposition candidate, , who garnered 44%.
But the electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, didn鈥檛 immediately release the tallies from each of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, hampering the opposition鈥檚 ability to challenge the results after claiming it had data for only 30% of the ballot boxes.
Here's the latest:
EU foreign policy chief calls for government to respect voters' will
EU Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for the government to respect the will of the voters and to release voting records in a statement published in Spanish and English on the social media platform X.
鈥淭he people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers, he wrote. "Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital.鈥
The 春色直播 Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, has yet to provide the tallies from the nation鈥檚 30,000 polling booths.
鈥擬ike Corder
Opposition claims victory in election, setting up showdown with government
Venezuela鈥檚 opposition claimed victory in Sunday鈥檚 presidential election, setting up a showdown with the government, which earlier declared President Nicol谩s Maduro the winner.
鈥淭he Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened,鈥 Edmundo Gonzalez said in his first remarks.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made the announcement standing alongside Gonzalez, whose margin of victory she said was 鈥渙verwhelming.鈥
Machado said the opposition had voting tallies from about 40% of ballot boxes nationwide, with more expected overnight.
The 春色直播 Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, has yet to provide the tallies from the nation鈥檚 30,000 polling booths.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Blinken says US has 鈥榮erious concerns鈥 about announced result of Venezuelan election
TOKYO 鈥 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has 鈥渟erious concerns鈥 about the announced result of that authorities say was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro.
Speaking in Tokyo on Monday shortly after the announcement was made, Blinken said the U.S. was concerned that the result reflected neither the will nor the votes of the Venezuelan people. He called for election officials to publish the full results transparently and immediately and said the U.S. and the international community would respond accordingly.
鈥擬atthew V. Lee
Nicol谩s Maduro is declared winner as opposition claims irregularities
Nicol谩s Maduro was declared the winner in Venezuela鈥檚 presidential election Sunday, even as his opponents were preparing to dispute the results, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will determine whether the South American nation transitions away from one party rule.
Elvis Amoroso, head of the 春色直播 Electoral Council, said Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming opposition candidate , who garnered 44%. He said the results were based on 80% of voting stations, marking an irreversible trend.
But the electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, has yet to release the official voting tallies from each of the 15,797 voting centers, hampering the opposition鈥檚 ability to verify the results.
The delay in announcing results 鈥 six hours after polls were supposed to close 鈥 indicated a deep debate inside the government about how to proceed after Maduro鈥檚 opponents came out early in the evening all but claiming victory.
Opposition representatives said tallies they collected from campaign representatives at 30% of voting centers showed Gonzalez trouncing Maduro.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
International community urges transparency in electoral process
wrote on X that 鈥渢he delivery of the results of this transcendental election in Venezuela must be transparent, timely and fully reflect the popular will expressed at the polls.鈥
鈥淭he international community, of which Chile is a part of, will not accept anything else,鈥 he added.
Brian A. Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, shared .
鈥淰enezuelan voters showed up in huge numbers to express their will at the ballot box,鈥 said Nichols. 鈥淚t now falls on electoral authorities to ensure transparency & access for all political parties & civil society in the tabulation of votes & prompt publication of results. Credibility of the electoral process depends on it.鈥
鈥擳he Associated Press
People at one polling place celebrate a vote tally favoring Gonz谩lez
More than two hours after being allowed into a voting center to witness the count, 10 residents of the Catia neighborhood exited the polling site to the applause of the roughly 30 people who were still waiting for news of results where they voted hours earlier.
The Caracas site, in a longtime ruling party stronghold, ended up going to Gonz谩lez, who took more than twice the votes Maduro got, according to the figures shared by two of the 10 Catia residents who witnessed the tallying process.
Earlier at the site, as people began to read social media posts showing purported voting tallies from other centers favorable to Gonz谩lez, some began chanting 鈥淎nd it has fallen, and it has fallen, this government has fallen,鈥 a phrase that for years Venezuelans had chanted with the verbs in future tense instead.
鈥擱egina Garcia Cano
Minister of Defense praises peaceful vote
Minister of Defense General Vladimir Padrino L贸pez praised his fellow Venezuelans for exercising their civic duty and voting peacefully Sunday.
The armed forces are the , so Padrino鈥檚 every word is closely watched. In 2015, when the opposition swept parliamentary elections by a landslide, he recognized the results even before Maduro acknowledged defeat.
On Sunday night, Padrino, flanked by top commanders in uniform, was more subdued. But he also said he was called by Maduro for a meeting to ensure the peaceful voting environment persists once results are announced.
鈥淭he Venezuelans are opening a new phase,鈥 said Padrino in ambiguous remarks in which he also condemned U.S. oil sanctions on Venezuela.
The armed forces have been an integral part of Maduro鈥檚 grip on power ever since his mentor and predecessor, former paratrooper Hugo Ch谩vez, led an uprising against an unpopular austerity government in 1992.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Maduro鈥檚 campaign chief says 鈥榃e cannot give results, but I can show face鈥
Jorge Rodr铆guez, Maduro鈥檚 campaign chief and head of the overwhelmingly pro-government 春色直播 Assembly, expressed confidence that the elections will be favorable for the ruling party.
鈥淲e cannot give results, but I can show face,鈥 said Rodr铆guez. 鈥淰iolence failed, hatred failed; love won, independence won, Venezuelan sovereignty won and peace won,鈥 in allusion to the main slogans of the ruling party鈥檚 campaign.
Rodr铆guez refrained from giving figures, affirming that the pro-government party is 鈥渞espectful of the laws of our country and the constitution.鈥 He added, 鈥渨e will wait,鈥 for the first preliminary bulletin of the 春色直播 Electoral Council (CNE).
The vote count will be done entirely with an automatic system. The first preliminary results are expected late Sunday. Authorities have said that such results will only be issued when they are determined to be irreversible.
Venezuelan law prohibits the dissemination of exit polls before the first official bulletin.
Tensions are growing as the CNE has not officially closed polling stations, nor announced an extension of the voting period.
Voting has traditionally been scheduled between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., but the regulations allow for it to be extended at voting sites where there are still voters waiting.
鈥擩orge Rueda
Opposition candidate Gonz谩lez and leader Machado call for observers to stay at voting sites
Opposition candidate , together with opposition leader , are calling for opposition party observers to stay at the voting centers until they receive the results.
Maduro鈥檚 opponents, who have expressed doubts about the impartiality of the electoral authorities, consider a copy of the voting tallies issued by voting machines a key document to demonstrate that the results are a true reflection of each vote cast.
鈥淲e reiterate to all citizens that they have the right to participate in a verification,鈥 Gonz谩lez said to the press.
Machado said the elections are in a 鈥渃rucial stage鈥 and calmly asked for the 鈥渙rderly presence鈥 of the opposition representatives in all the centers.
鈥淣obody leaves the voting center until we have the proof in our hands of the results,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e are already receiving the voting tallies and we are counting them one by one.鈥
Out of respect for the electoral rules, she stressed, 鈥渨e are not in a condition to give that information鈥 until the electoral authorities release the first official bulletin.
鈥擩orge Rueda
鈥楾his is the decisive moment,鈥 says opposition leader Machado
Venezuela鈥檚 opposition leader was beaming with optimism as she urged authorities to order the closure of voting centers that remained open more than an hour after a deadline for vote counting to begin.
鈥淭his is the decisive moment,鈥 , flanked by presidential candidate Edmundo Gonz谩lez, said at their campaign headquarters.
Machado was careful not to claim victory before any official announcement but said she had already received copies of some official voting tallies and they indicated a record turnout. Gonz谩lez was similarly enthused, congratulating Venezuelans on the 鈥渉istoric鈥 day and urging supporters to 鈥渃elebrate in peace.鈥
Both called on campaign representatives to remain at the polling stations to avoid any irregularities once vote tallying begins.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Opposition calls on authorities to close the polls and start counting ballots
Venezuela鈥檚 opposition is calling on authorities to close the polls and begin counting ballots.
By law, polling centers should close at 6 p.m. but they also must remain open if there are voters still in line.
At 6:11 p.m. opposition leader took to social media to demand the 春色直播 Electoral Council shut down the more than 15,000 voting centers nationwide.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 nobody in line, the voting booths must close,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to see how your votes are counted, ballot by ballot.鈥
Fifteen minutes past the closing time about 40 people were met by an armed soldier, a member of a people鈥檚 militia, and other members of the armed forces when they requested access to a voting center in the low-income neighborhood of Catia to witness the vote counting process as allowed by law. They were told they could not enter because people were still voting, yet no voters could be seen inside and the members of the armed forces and electoral authority representatives refused to close the site.
Minutes later, gang members affiliated with the government showed up on motorcycles to intimidate people trying to witness the vote count.
The gang members left minutes later as voters shouted 鈥淟eave! Leave!鈥
鈥擱egina Garcia Cano
Opposition representative blocked from 春色直播 Electoral Council offices
Former lawmaker Delsa Sol贸rzano, representative of the opposition鈥檚 Unitary Platform coalition, says authorities have blocked her entrance to the 春色直播 Electoral Council despite her accreditation. They have also blocked two other representatives of the coalition.
鈥淲e insist that it is not the same to make a complaint face to face as making it in a WhatsApp message or an email,鈥 said the longtime politician known for her defense of human rights and imprisoned political leaders. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 give a reason for this situation.鈥
Still, she said her coalition was optimistic. 鈥淲e have a lot of reasons to smile,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hat we ask is that they simply follow the law.鈥
鈥擩orge Rueda
Maduro's ally jeered
An ally of the ruling party was met with jeers when going to the polls to vote.
In the state of Miranda, which includes a portion of the capital, some voters screamed 鈥淟eave! Leave!鈥 when Gov. Hector Rodr铆guez reached his polling center.
Rodriguez is a member of the delegation that has represented President Nicol谩s Maduro in negotiations with the U.S.-backed Unitary Platform.
鈥擱egina Garcia Cano
Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief, wishes 鈥榮tability and prosperity鈥 for the Venezuelan people
PARIS, France 鈥 The head of the UN Refugee Agency Filippo Grandi spoke to The Associated Press today in Paris about his hopes for Venezuela.
鈥淲hichever the outcome of elections and of any political process, regarding negotiations for an agreement and internal agreement, I do wish for the Venezuelan people a return to stability and prosperity that they used to enjoy in the past,鈥 Grandi said.
He also hoped for the restoration of good relations between Venezuelans and all members of the international community, 鈥渟o that everybody can help Venezuelans have a better future,鈥 he added.
鈥 Megan Janetsky
Venezuelans vote in neighboring countries
Venezuelans turned out to vote on Sunday at a school in the Colombian capital, Bogot谩, where some 4,300 citizens were registered to vote. In a nearby park attendees waved flags and shouted in unison for 鈥渇reedom鈥.
In the northern port city of Barranquilla 鈥 where 387 Venezuelans were registered 鈥 the sentiment was similar. The president of a Venezuelan association in the city, Pil铆n Le贸n, told the press that voting went 鈥渜uite smoothly.鈥
Several Venezuelans went to the embassy in Lima, Peru, to vote with flags in their hands and sang the Venezuelan anthem. 659 citizens were registered to vote there.
However, Venezuelan citizens cannot vote in countries like Ecuador. In April, Nicol谩s Maduro after the police raid on its embassy.
Instead, dozens of Venezuelans chose to attend a religious ceremony in a church in the country鈥檚 capital, Quito. In the southern city of Cuenca, Venezuelans gathered in a park chanting for 鈥渇reedom鈥 and 鈥渄emocracy鈥 in their home country.
鈥 Gabriela Molina
No violence or incidents at voting sites says the Minister of Defense
Minister of Defense, Chief General Vladimir Padrino L贸pez, said during the first six hours of voting, 鈥渘o incident worth mentioning has occurred. The day has passed in peace.
鈥漈he military chief asked Venezuelans not to share comments about alleged acts of violence in the surroundings of voting centers, saying that, 鈥渨hat appears on social media is not always true.
鈥漈he unitary opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonz谩lez says that he trusts that the Venezuelan Armed Forces 鈥渨ill respect the will of the people". The military, in charge of logistics and security of the elections, is .
The president鈥檚 opponents have tried to unsuccessfully enlist the support of the military to force Maduro to step down from power, arguing that he was re-elected in 2018 in fraudulent elections.
Senior military commanders, including the Minister of Defense, publicly expressed their support and loyalty to Maduro. For many, the military would have much to lose if there was after 25 years of self-proclaimed socialist governments.
Gonz谩lez comments after casting his vote
The opposition candidate expressed his satisfaction with the massive presence of Venezuelans lined up since late Saturday night and Sunday morning at voting centers.
鈥淭oday more than ever Venezuelans are demonstrating that we are one people. What we see are lines of joy and hope. Today begins a day of reconciliation for all Venezuelans,鈥 said Gonz谩lez, surrounded by journalists, shortly after casting his vote.
鈥淭he democratic spirit of Venezuelans is more alive than ever, it鈥檚 time for change,鈥 added the ex-diplomat. If victorious, Gonzalez promised to create conditions for the after fleeing compounding crises.
鈥淲e do not want more Venezuelans leaving the country, and for those who have left I tell them we will do everything possible for them to come back and welcome them with open arms,鈥 he said.鈥淭o all the Venezuelans around the world, your strength and commitment encourages us. We are one people in search of freedom,鈥 he added.
鈥 Jorge Rueda
If Chavez were alive, he鈥檇 vote for Maduro, says the late president's daughter
Maria Gabriela Ch谩vez, one of the late president鈥檚 daughters, commented as she cast her ballot in a school classroom under the watchful gaze of Ch谩vez鈥檚 face painted on the wall.
鈥淭enemos que ganar" (We have to win), she told AP of the advice her father would likely have given had he been alive today.
Sunday鈥檚 vote is being held on what would鈥檝e been the 70th birthday of Ch谩vez, who died in 2013 of cancer.
Ch谩vez said she agreed with the decision, which seeks to stir admiration for her father鈥檚 legacy and give Maduro, his handpicked political heir, a possible boost in a tight race.
鈥淪iempre mezclamos la familia con pol铆tica,鈥 said Ch谩vez, who nonetheless plans to lay a wreath at her father鈥檚 tomb in a hilltop army fort later Sunday.
Medicine shortages a factor in Venezuelans' vote preference
Judy Oropeza says when her sister died in 2019 she vowed never again to vote for the government that long employed her as a school teacher.
It was the nadir of Venezuela鈥檚 economic crisis and due to widespread shortages, Oropeza鈥檚 sister couldn鈥檛 find the medicine she needed to treat hypertension.
Oropeza was in Colombia trying to find work because her miserly wages weren鈥檛 enough to feed her and her son. 鈥淚 came home to bury her practically,鈥 she said, holding back tears.
Today, sitting quietly on a bench in Caracas鈥 iconic Plaza Bolivar, she acknowledges things have improved.
But she abandoned the profession she loved to escape hunger and still has to watch every penny of her $160 month in salary in the private sector.鈥 There鈥檚 peace now,鈥 she says as a street sweeper collects the fallen leaves from the marble floor. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 wounds that never heal. That鈥檚 why I vote for change.鈥
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Our machine is '
well-oiled', says Maduro campaign chief
Key to Maduro鈥檚 chances Sunday is the strength of the ruling party鈥檚 ability to mobilize its base.
One strategy, known as 1 x 10, asks each Maduro supporter to recruit 10 of their friends and family members.
Asked Sunday about those efforts to boost turnout, Maduro campaign chief Jorge Rodr铆guez said 鈥渙ur machine is well-oiled.鈥
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Happy Birthday Hugo Ch谩vez!
Authorities set Sunday鈥檚 election to coincide with what would have been the 70th birthday of the former president鈥攐ne last effort by the ruling socialist party to gain an edge in the hard-fought electoral battle.
The former president and revered leftist firebrand died of cancer in 2013, leaving Maduro as his political heir.
In the January 23 poor hillside neighborhood where a mausoleum holds Ch谩vez鈥檚 remains, supporters shared a cake celebrating the birthday.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Nearly all voting centers open across Venezuela
The President of Venezuela鈥檚 春色直播 Electoral Council Elvis Amoroso says that 95% of of voting centers across the country are open.
The council set up 30,026 voting machines for the election.
Amoroso said Sunday he and other electoral authorities had a 鈥渃lear conscience鈥 about the work they were carrying out.
He said 100% of polling place workers were present at voting centers from the time they opened at 6 a.m.
鈥擩orge Rueda
Voters look for change
In the working-class Petare neighborhood on the east side of Caracas, people lined up to vote hours before polls opened.
Judith Cantilla, a 52-year-old domestic worker said, 鈥淚n the name of God, everything is going to turn out alright. Each person is going take their position and well, (it鈥檚 time for) change for Venezuela.鈥
She said the people were tired and that change for Venezuela is for more jobs, security, medicine in hospitals and better pay for teachers and doctors.
Elsewhere, Liana Ibarra, a manicurist in greater Caracas, got in line at 3 a.m. Sunday and found at least 150 people ahead of her.
The 35-year-old Ibarra said her aunt wrote to her from the U.S. at 2 a.m. to see if she was already in line.
With her backpack next to her loaded with water, coffee and cassava snacks, Ibarra said there used to be a lot of indifference toward elections, "but not anymore.鈥
Her mom鈥檚 11 siblings have all migrated. She has not followed them, she said, because her 5-year-old son has special needs. But if Gonz谩lez does not win, she will ask her relatives to sponsor her and her son鈥檚 application to migrate to the U.S. legally.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 take it anymore,鈥 she said.
鈥擣abiola S谩nchez and Regina Garc铆a Cano
Party representatives blocked from observing at voting center
At least eight party representatives authorized by the 春色直播 Electoral Council to provide oversight at the country鈥檚 largest voting center in the capital Caracas were being denied access more than an hour after polls were supposed to open.
Police officers linked arms around the door as the representatives showed their printed certificates that should give them access.
Marisol Contreras, 58, chief party representative for the Unitary Platform, said she arrived at 4 a.m. and was told she couldn鈥檛 go in to the elementary school.
People affiliated with the government stood at the door and indicated to them that all the necessary personnel were already inside.
Marlyn Hernandez, the voting center coordinator, said she didn't know why the authorized representatives were not being allowed in to the school where more than 11,000 people are registered to vote. The center opened 90 minutes late.
Maduro says he will respect the announced results
Incumbent President Nicol谩s Maduro says he will recognize the result of the presidential election and urged other candidates to publicly declare the same.
Maduro said after voting Sunday that 鈥渘o one is going to create chaos in Venezuela.鈥 He said 鈥淚 recognize and will recognize the electoral referee, the official announcements" and that he would make sure the result is recognized.
He called on the other nine candidates 鈥渢o respect, to make respected and to declare publicly that they will respect the official announcement鈥 of the winner.
Opposition candidate taunted at voting center
Opposition supporters greeted presidential candidate Daniel Ceballos with shouts of 鈥淕et out! Get out! Get out! Traitor!鈥 as he arrived to vote at a school in downtown Caracas.
Ceballos was a leader of anti-Maduro protests in 2014 calling for the president鈥檚 resignation less than a year after his election. He was imprisoned for his actions.
Ceballos lost some of his edge after he emerged from jail years later. Most recently, he surprised friend and foe alike by registering to run against Maduro with a rhetoric critical of the main opposition coalition which considers him a sell-out and a patsy for Maduro鈥檚 efforts to stay in power.
鈥擩oshua Goodman
Some voters still sticking with Maduro
Clarisa Machado voted for Maduro in the working-class Caracas neighborhood of Petare.
The 74-year-old sociologist felt confident that the experience the government gained over years of crisis would make it better able to deal with difficult situations still to come, as well as improve Venezuelans' standard of living.
鈥淲e Venezuelans, when they knock us down, we get back up and that serves as experience to not fall down again,鈥 she said.
鈥擩orge Rueda
