Politics Election in Venezuela: Maduro wants to recognize result
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he will respect the result of the election for head of state. "I recognize the electoral court and the official gazettes and will ensure that they are respected," said Maduro shortly after casting his vote in the capital Caracas.
28.07.2024, 16:36
SDA
In addition to the authoritarian Maduro, who is seeking a third term in office, nine other candidates are running for the highest state office. Alongside Maduro, former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia from the opposition alliance Plataforma Unitaria Democrática is considered to have the best chances. "Today is your day, go to the polls," González called on voters.
The 74-year-old is running in place of popular opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was banned from holding public office for 15 years due to alleged irregularities from her time as a member of parliament. However, she and González went on campaign appearances across the country. "Let's go to the polls as a family with strength, joy and conviction, because we will make it!" Machado announced on the X platform. The first results were expected on Monday night German time.
Pictures showed queues of people outside polling stations since the early hours of the morning. More than 388,000 security forces were deployed, reported the newspaper "El Nacional". In the country, a temporary closure of "the border traffic of people and the passage of vehicles" at the land access points to the neighboring countries of Colombia and Brazil was also maintained.
According to several polls, Maduro could indeed face the threat of being voted out of office after eleven years in power. However, observers do not expect a free and fair election. Recently, numerous members of the opposition were arrested and candidates critical of the government were not allowed to stand for election.
No EU election observers present
The EU is not represented with observers, as Venezuela's electoral authority had revoked an invitation due to existing personal sanctions against representatives of the National Electoral Council. Even Brazil's left-wing government recently announced that it would not be sending any election observers following a spat between the presidents of the two countries.
According to the Panamanian authorities, four Latin American ex-presidents were prevented from traveling to observe the elections on Friday. Although the United Nations has sent some election experts, their roles are limited as the body does not make public statements to assess the election process.
Only a few eligible voters abroad are allowed to vote
A total of around 21.6 million people are eligible to vote. This includes Venezuelans living abroad. However, of the 4.5 million eligible voters outside the country, only around 69,000 were registered as meeting the requirements set by the government for voting abroad. The elections are won by a simple majority in the first round.
Venezuela has been in a serious political and economic crisis for years. The economy of the once prosperous country with rich oil reserves is suffering from mismanagement, corruption and sanctions. According to UN figures, more than seven million people have left Venezuela in recent years due to poverty and violence.
