Who won the 2024 Venezuela election, and why is the result causing controversy?

The 2024 presidential election in Venezuela has been a highly publicized and controversial affair, and a winner has finally been declared.

The process has been closely followed by both the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the people, but the outcome of the election is being contested, and a variety of outlets are offering up varying opinions on the intriguing situation. Funnily enough, it looks like it’s not just the United States with a heated 2024 election.

The 2024 Venezuelan Presidential election result, explained

President Nicolás Maduro has been declared the champion of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, according to partial results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE). Elvis Amoroso, the head of the CNE, revealed that with 80% of ballots counted, Maduro secured 51% of the vote, while his main rival garnered 44%. Following the announcement, Maduro proclaimed his re-election as a triumph of peace and stability, emphasizing the transparency of the voting process.

Maduro, aged 61, first ascended to the presidency in 2013 after the death of his mentor, socialist leader Hugo Chavez. His administration has been marred by allegations of imprisoning critics, harassing the opposition, and failing to resolve a severe economic and political crisis that has led over seven million Venezuelans to emigrate, with more expected to follow.

The opposition disputes the election results

The Venezuelan opposition, however, has rejected the CNE’s announcement as fraudulent and is preparing to contest the results. They claim that their candidate, Edmundo González, actually won with 70% of the votes, and should therefore be acknowledged as the rightful president-elect. According to the opposition, their vote tallies and quick counts showed González leading by a significant 40 percentage points over Maduro. In a bid to oust Maduro, opposition parties had united behind González, emphasizing the need for change after Maduro’s 11 years in power.

Reactions from the US and rest of the world

Following the announcement of Maduro’s victory, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern, calling for a “fair and transparent” vote count. The European Union and several of its member states have also expressed doubts about the transparency of the election. Analysts and leaders across the Americas have voiced skepticism, though some have shown support for Maduro. Phil Gunson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Venezuela, told Al Jazeera that the government-released tallies did not align with the actual votes cast, suggesting potential manipulation.