In a dramatic turn of events following Venezuela's recent presidential election, President Nicolás Maduro has leveled accusations against his opposition and foreign entities, claiming they are attempting to undermine his declared victory. This development comes as international observers and governments express serious doubts about the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Naturally, Venezuela's Maduro is an antisemite too. pic.twitter.com/Y2Mrqon1fh
— Rev. Johnnie Moore ن (@JohnnieM) August 4, 2024
According to reporting by The Washington Post, Venezuela's opposition has published election results that suggest Maduro lost his bid for another term by a significant margin. These unofficial tallies, based on more than 23,000 precinct-level tally sheets representing nearly 80 percent of voting machines nationwide, suggest that opposition candidate Edmundo González likely received more than twice as many votes as President Maduro. This conclusion aligns with independent exit polling and similar analyses conducted by other organizations.
Nevertheless, Venezuela's national electoral council declared Maduro the winner with nearly 52 percent of the vote compared to González's 43 percent. However, the council has yet to release precinct-level results to support this claim, a requirement under Venezuelan law.
At a press conference on Saturday, Maduro blamed what he termed the "extremist right" for the unrest that has swept the country since the disputed election. He accused these groups of being "supported by international Zionism." He alleged that Jews were manipulating social networks, media outlets, and even satellite technology in an attempt to "steal the presidential election" from his socialist government, wrote The Sun.
The accusations come amid widespread protests and growing international condemnation of the election process. Many governments and international organizations have criticized the vote as fraudulent.
Venezuelans running for their lives as Maduro's military attack protesters.
This is awful. Pray for the Venezuelans who just want fair elections and freedom.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 4, 2024
The opposition's published results were compiled with the assistance of thousands of volunteer poll watchers who collected and scanned tally sheets printed by electronic voting machines at polling centers across the country. Independent analyses and on-the-ground verification efforts have corroborated the authenticity of the tally sheets.
As the political crisis deepens, international pressure is mounting on President Maduro to negotiate a peaceful resolution. The United States has rejected Maduro's claim of victory, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that it is "clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes" in the election.
