(DailyChive.com) – Venezuela is embroiled in domestic conflict after reports suggest socialist President Nicolas Maduro won a contested election. Western media is suggesting the election was stolen, citing exit polling which indicated his opponent, Edmundo González, won in a landslide with 65% of the vote. The vote was contested immediately by the opposition party.
Previous elections in Venezuela resulted in very low voter-turnout, but this year was different. Witnesses reported long lines to vote, and opposition leader María Corina Machado called the turnout “amazing.” She was prohibited from running in the election due to her support for international sanctions against the ruling socialist party.
Reports emerged of pro-Maduro gangs showing up to intimidate voters at polling locations. One gang attacked a polling center which resulted in the death of a 40-year-old man.
Exit polling consistently showed a landslide for González and many voters began to celebrate the victory. The celebrations were interrupted by an announcement from the National Electoral Council (CNE) chief Elvis Amoroso around midnight which declared Maduro the winner, with 51% of the popular vote.
Amoroso claimed there was “an aggression against the data transmission system” involved in relaying the results which delayed them from being released. Maduro suggested that the network was attacked by hackers who wanted to interrupt the publication of the results.
Opposition leaders announced their belief that the results were fraudulent and that the government was ignoring the popular will of the people. They claimed that their party received 70% of the vote.
The election was the single most popular in Venezuelan history with the highest turnout ever. Maduro had issued threats and suggested a “bloodbath” was likely if he lost the election the week prior.
International observers are also questioning the results, including U.S., Argentine, Chilean, and Costa Rican leaders. Even left-leaning governments of Colombia and Brazil haven’t issued public comments, suggesting the fraud was obvious. Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, and Nicaragua all endorsed his win and publicly congratulated Maduro.
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