AFP A girl protests the election outcomes
NOS Information•yesterday, 21:46•Adjusted at present, 02:51
The Venezuelan electoral fee has formally declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election, which might permit him to start his third six-year time period as president of Venezuela. The opposition suspects fraud.
Based on the official outcomes, the authoritarian chief obtained greater than 51 % of the votes on Sunday. The opposition, which this time united behind candidate Edmundo González, would have obtained greater than 44 %. These are the identical percentages that the electoral fee talked about after counting 80 % of the votes.
The opposition events say they’ve three quarters of the voting ends in their palms. They are saying they will use this to show that they’re the winners of the elections. Within the provisional outcomes, they already accused Maduro of electoral fraud. Maduro himself needs nothing to do with it: in a televised speech, he mentioned that he sees the accusations from the opposition as a coup try, a “fascist coup d’état”.
Pots and pans
Throughout Maduro’s speech, individuals took to the streets in a number of locations within the capital Caracas to reveal in opposition to the outcomes. Amongst different locations, demonstrators gathered on the presidential palace. They made noise with pots and pans and tried to dam roads. The police responded with tear fuel in a number of locations.
Earlier than the elections, impartial polls had given 70 % of the votes to the opposition. That camp had already feared fraud within the counting, and their suspicions of fraud elevated when the primary outcomes have been launched solely six hours after the polls closed. It’s identified that the electoral fee is on the aspect of President Maduro.
Observers
Beneath Venezuelan legislation, impartial witnesses are allowed to watch the counting of votes. Initially, observers from the European Union have been to return, however the invitation was withdrawn two months in the past by the electoral fee.
Yesterday, individuals who needed to examine the rely have been additionally made troublesome. Based on the opposition, they solely received to see about 40 % of the votes and are actually demanding that worldwide observers come and examine the rely.
Worldwide reactions
In different international locations, the preliminary outcomes have been met with combined reactions. A number of Latin American international locations collectively referred to as for full transparency concerning the outcomes and the counting course of. Panama has since suspended all diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
The international locations have been joined by the US, which referred to as the outcome “onerous to imagine” and is contemplating sanctions. The European Union has additionally referred to as for transparency concerning the election course of.
Maduro did obtain help from different international locations. Russia, China, Bolivia and Cuba despatched their congratulations.
