Incumbent president Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the 2024 Venezuela election by government officials on Monday.
The country’s Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE), or National Electoral Council, announced that Maduro had about 51.2 percent of the vote while opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia had 44.2 percent. The Associated Press has termed this organization as “controlled by Maduro loyalists.”
2024 Venezuela Election Results: You’re Right to Be Skeptical
The incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, ran for a third term. He became president in 2013 when the prior leader, Hugo Chávez, died that same year. Chávez ruled Venezuela since 1999, and a combination of severe economic distress and lack of respect for democratic institutions began during his tenure. This has continued throughout the presidency of Maduro, whom the United States government has previously called an “illegitimate” president.
Prior to the vote, there were significant concerns as to whether or not the 2024 Venezuelan election would be fair. In recent elections held in 2021, the US State Department commented on vote-rigging, saying that with regards to local elections, the incumbent’s government “grossly skewed the process to determine the result of this election long before any ballots had been cast.” Numerous political parties were also disqualified from the 2024 election.
Furthermore, millions of Venezuelans living abroad were disenfranchised or prevented from being able to register. Just 69,189 Venezuelan ex-pat voters were allowed to participate.
There was a pervasive belief in Venezuelan opinion polling as well that Maduro would remain in power even if he lost the election. According to polls aggregated by AS/COA, a plurality – 47.5 percent – believed that Maduro would either win or refuse to leave following a defeat. Just 35 percent of Venezuelans polled believed the opposition would win and a transition of power would occur. This was in spite of the fact that those same polls showed opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia winning in a landslide.
What Next for Venezuela?
As it turns out, the fears of many in the Venezuelan electorate were warranted.
The international community is so far refusing to recognize the announced result. Among others, the United States, Chile, and the United Kingdom have offered skepticism. However, the governments of Cuba and Russia predictably went the other way and congratulated Maduro.
Venezuela seems to be in for more of the same: Widespread concerns over the legitimacy of their election result, a likely extension of the economic and political woes which plague their nation, and a continued exodus out of the country. Millions have left Venezuela since this political turmoil began, with many more set to do the same should Maduro continue in the presidency.
Simplified Summary
Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election. However, many believe that the election was not free or fair. Some countries have expressed concerns over vote-rigging. Millions of Venezuelans left their home country and were not allowed to vote.
