Maduro wins elections with 51.2% and is re-elected president of Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, candidate for the Great Patriotic Pole coalition, was declared the winner of the presidential elections this Sunday (28) after obtaining 5.1 million votes, 51.20% of the total. The main opposition candidate, Edmundo González, of the far-right Unitary Platform, gathered 4.4 million, around 44.02% of the votes.

With this result, Maduro is re-elected for his third term. In Venezuela, the presidential term is six years.

In the early hours of this Monday, still in the early hours of the morning, the National Electoral Council (CNE), the highest body of the Electoral Power of Venezuela, published that 80% of the ballot boxes had been counted and that the result was irreversible.

At that point, Maduro had an advantage of around 700,000 over Edmundo González.

“I can say before the people of Venezuela and the world: I am Nicolás Maduro Moros, reelected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” Maduro declared in his victory speech, inside the presidential palace in Miraflores. “There will be peace, stability and justice. Peace and respect for the law,” he emphasized.

China on Monday congratulated Nicolás Maduro on his re-election as Venezuela’s head of state. “China congratulates Venezuela on the success of its presidential election and congratulates President Maduro on his re-election,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference.

“China is willing to enrich the strategic partnership [com a Venezuela] and to ensure that the people of both countries benefit from this,” he added.

The Chinese position is a counterpoint to the Western threats to Chavismo. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday (29) that his country has “serious concerns”.

“It is essential that all votes are counted fairly and transparently, that election officials promptly share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that election authorities publish the results,” Blinken urged.

In the last decade, US imperialism has imposed around 930 economic sanctions on Venezuela, throwing the country into an unprecedented crisis.

The country had inflation of 344,000% and saw its oil revenues fall from US$56 billion in 2012 to US$743 million in 2020.

Bolivian President Luis Arce congratulated Maduro on his “electoral victory” and celebrated that “the will of the Venezuelan people was respected at the polls.” Arce said Bolivia will continue to strengthen ties of friendship with Venezuela.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also congratulated Maduro on his “historic victory” in the elections.

“Today the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people triumphed over pressure and manipulation,” wrote the Cuban leader, who added that “the Bolivarian people… cleanly defeated the pro-imperialist opposition unequivocally.”

Russia was another country that recognized the election results. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his victory, the Kremlin reported. According to Moscow, Putin sent a message to Maduro: “We are developing relations in all areas, including sensitive areas,” he said.