A Dubious Election Sparks Chaos in Venezuela

• The socialist leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, declared victory in last weekend’s election

• With strong evidence that Maduro lost, America and the West recognized his opponent as the rightful president

• The Venezuelan government remains strongly allied with Russia and Iran

The story

Last weekend, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the presidential election over his opposition, Edmundo González. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), which is under Maduro's control, announced early Monday that the socialist leader secured 51 percent of the vote, while González received 44 percent.

However, Maduro’s opposition and the US government believe that the election was neither free nor fair. Proving this assumption as she hides for her life, Maria Corina Machado - known as Venezuela’s Iron Lady - asserts, “The truth is that Mr. Maduro didn’t win in a single one of Venezuela’s 24 states.” Machado is a major opposition leader who was blocked from running for office because of the threat she posed to the Maduro regime.

Machado claims that the exit polls proved González won 70 percent of the vote, which was “not only confirmed by four different quick counts and two independent exit polls but also by every single voting receipt that we saw coming in, in real time.”

In response to the suspected rigged election, Venezuelans poured into the streets in protest — a response that Mudro vowed to crush. People have been tearing down posters and statues of Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, in a sharp rebuke to the current regime.

Now, the United States has formally recognized Edmundo González as having won the election, while the leaders of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico urged Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies to settle the dispute.

The election

Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, estimated at around 300 billion barrels. Once a thriving, developing nation, Maduro’s rule collapsed Venezuela’s economy and sent inflation soaring.

With the country economically in ruins and with its vast oil reserves being squandered, the Venezuelan people went to the polls in what looks like a massive rebuttal of the current regime. Supporters of opposition leader María Corina Machado went to great lengths to monitor the polling stations, aiming to detect any irregularities or suspicious activities, which they reportedly found.

One polling station already had 3,000 fraudulent votes for Maduro counted from the time it opened. When it was discovered, police were forced to escort out the woman responsible as furious crowds pressed in.

Soldiers allegedly stole paper tallies, leading to widespread violence across the country. At least one civilian lost his life as he tried to protect votes from being stolen during a raid by Venezuelan authorities.

With a record voter turnout and exit polls indicating Maduro losing in a landslide, Venezuelan state media presented results that appeared laughably implausible. The state-controlled CNE showed Maduro with 51.2 percent of the vote, González with 44.2 percent, and eight smaller parties each having 4.6 percent — all of these “results” add up to 132 percent.

Beyond the headlines

As the world looks upon Venezuela’s chaotic elections, Nicolás Maduro appears to be adopting a more Stalin-esque posture. He declared the construction of two maximum-security prisons to house “new generation gangs” who seek to overthrow his regime, where political prisoners will be re-educated and forced to work.

While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed the election was “deeply flawed” and ultimately declared González the true winner, the Biden administration is stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding how to actually navigate dealing with the Maduro regime.

In April, President Biden allowed the lifted oil sanctions on Venezuela to expire, conceding that Maduro had no intention of holding free elections. Though more plausibly, the US president was concerned that continued Venezuelan sanctions would cause US gas prices to spike right before the November election.

In the past several years, nearly eight million Venezuelans are estimated to have fled their country for the United States, further straining Maduro’s grasp on power by devastating his nation’s economic base.

Maduro also has cause to distrust the United States due to a former US Green Beret being arrested for allegedly orchestrating so-called “Operation Gideon,” which was a paramilitary operation based in Colombia that attempted to overthrow Maduro’s regime in 2020. The plan was thwarted by Venezuelan authorities, and Maduro is requesting the Army veteran’s extradition to Venezuela.

Maduro has little interest in appeasing the West, especially considering the allies he has created in the East. Hugo Chávez, in particular, was no friend of the US, calling former President George W. Bush “the devil.” Since that time, the Russians, Chinese, and Iranians have cemented their footprint in Venezuela.

Why it matters

In the days and weeks to come, Maduro will likely not budge even as the United States and other Western nations insist on the opposition’s victory. His disdain for America and determination to retain power could have devastating effects on average Venezuelans and create a regional ripple effect, prompting millions to flee to neighboring countries.

The stakes are immense: Maduro remaining in power if the election results are proven to be rigged would ensure that they remain aligned with America’s enemies. Its economic malfeasance would further drive Venezuelans northward to America, amid the United States’ unprecedented influx of illegal migrants.