Maduro triumphs: PSUV wins elections with over 82% of the votes!

Maduro triumphs: PSUV wins elections with over 82% of the votes!

On May 26, 2025, Parliamentary and regional elections took place in Venezuela, which were completed by the Governing Socialist Party Venezuelas (PSUV) under President Nicolás Maduro. According to the National Election Council (CNE), PSUV received 82.68 percent of the votes and thus secured the absolute majority in parliament. The party conquered 23 of 24 governors' positions.

The choice ran under the shadow of a boycott through the opposition, led by the "Plataforma Unitaria democrática (pud)". This had already made fraud against Maduro in the previous year. The opposition leader María Corina Machado reported that more than 85 percent of the voters abstained. However, the election council officially stated a participation of only 42.6 percent.

elections and security situation

Around 21.4 million voters were called to choose 569 offices, including 285 MPs and 24 governors. For the first time, a governor and eight MPs should also be chosen for the controversial Essequibo region, which Venezuela claims and which has been controversial by an arbitration between Great Britain and Venezuela since 1899.

To protect the election, over 400,000 security forces were deployed. Before the elections, more than 70 people, including the opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, were arrested by the security forces. The government accused the arrested, terrorist attacks to disturb the election.

international reactions and the role of opposition

The international community is concerned about the situation in Venezuela. The United States, the EU and numerous Latin American states have doubts about the results of the election and the politically controversial practices of Madura. The opposition had rejected the elections as not free and fair and proclaimed a boycott that further burdened the already split electorate.

The political landscape in Venezuela also shows the reality of a nationwide emigration. Around eight million Venezuelans have left the country, which corresponds to about a quarter of the population. Foreign journalists are currently more difficult to report from Venezuela, which contributes to the confidentiality of the elections and their process. Business owners report that many emigrants had to leave their personal possessions behind.

In this frustrating political environment, which mobilizes some voters, but many leads to resignation and retreat, a clear victory of the government alliance is expected. The support of the military, which Maduro can secure, is particularly impressive despite all the unrest and the ongoing economic crises in the country.

The elections of May 26, 2025 show that Venezuela is in a profound political crisis that has both national and international dimensions. The effects of these elections will be felt on both the local and the geopolitical stage for a long time.

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