Maduro under pressure: Parliamentary election in Venezuela has potential for conflict!

Maduro under pressure: Parliamentary election in Venezuela has potential for conflict!

Caracas, Venezuela - President Nicolás Maduro faces a crucial new election in Venezuela. Next Sunday, May 28, 2025, he plans to expand his power through the parliamentary and regional elections. These elections affect not only the 24 governors of the states, but also the 285 members of the National Assembly, which has been controlled almost entirely by the Maduro regime since 2020. The polling stations open at 6:00 a.m. local time, and the first election results are expected for the night. However, the climate in the country remains tense because the majority of the opposition calls for abstent.

The opposition warns of election fraud and questions the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. After the presidential election, Maduro declared himself the winner in July 2024, which led to violent protests two weeks later, in which 28 people were killed. Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate, also claims to have won the election.

protests and human rights violations

In the past few weeks there has been a vigil for political prisoners in Caracas, in which hundreds of people came together under the motto "A light for freedom". The protests against Maduro have already led to at least 24 deaths and over 1,200 arrests. Human rights organizations report thousands of arrests and delays, including the case of Maria Oropeza, an employee of the opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has disappeared during her arrest.

The opposition party "Vente Venezuela" has published documents that show a clear election victory for the opposition, while no evidence of Maduro's official election result was presented. Political scientist Ricardo Rios expressed that Maduro had lost his legitimacy and increasingly had to fall back on violence and propaganda.

international reactions

The international community reacted to the Situation in Venezuela. Brazil's President Lula called for evidence of Maduro's election victory, but was not clear against the accusation of election fraud. While the USA does not officially recognize González as the new president, they still congratulated him on his successes. The EU also rejected Maduro's re -election, which led to further protests and allegations.

In addition, the public prosecutor's office in Venezuela has initiated investigations against Machado and González because of the spread of false information. The continuing protests of the opposition show that many Venezuelans no longer want to accept the situation and are ready for a longer fight.

The United Nations has sharply condemned the human rights crisis under the Maduro government and are calling for a comprehensive investigation of the incidents of the past few months. Spiegel will observe exactly how the situation develops, especially with regard to the upcoming elections and the associated human rights issues.

The political fate of Venezuela remains in the suspension, while the citizens and the international community are waiting for the upcoming results.