Tensions around the 2024 Venezuela’s presidential election have reached a boiling point as violent protests litter the streets of the capital city, Caracas, and other major cities in the South American country.
Protesters, mainly youths, have signaled their displeasure at the outcome of the elections in which incumbent President, Nicolás Maduro, has declared as the winner. These angry protesters have come out enmasse to ‘defend their votes,’ citing foul play in the conduct of the elections and results.
However, with President Maduro now announced as winner of the presidential polls, it appears these demonstrators have a huge fight on their hands if their voices are to be heard. This article discusses five things you need to know about the highly disputed election.
Disputed Election Results
As Venezuelans went to the polls on the 28th of July, they knew that they were about to take steps that would change their destiny. However things took a turn as the presidential election descended into chaos with the incumbent President Nicolás Maduro winning the election again, retaining the presidential seat he has claimed since 2013.
This didn’t sit well with the opposition party, as they rejected the result and claimed that there were a lot of irregularities surrounding the elections. The opposition even went on to claim that the released result didn’t tally with theirs, which suggested that Maduro didn’t win the election. The international community has also been vocal in their condemnation of the whole election process, claiming it lacked fairness and transparency.
Allegations of Foul Play
With lots of claims that the electoral process has elements of being rigged, as witnesses from the opposition party were restricted from entering The National Electoral Council (CNE) headquarters during the vote counting process.
In fact, the opposition claimed there was no presence of international observers during the vote counting process, which meant that there was enough opportunity for vote rigging and manipulation. These are some of the major reasons why the opposition believes the legitimacy of the election should be questioned.
Protests and Crackdown
The aftermath of the election led to the opposition protesting against the result which led to a brutal crackdown by security forces. Reports say the security forces have hit protesters with rounds of tear gas and anti-riot routines which has led to a number of fatalities among the protesters.
As at the recent count, at least 11 people are confirmed to have been killed while up 750 others have been arrested. These ‘insensitive crackdowns’ have fueled more outrage from Venezuelans who maintained they weren’t going to back down against their oppressors.
On its part, the Venezuelan government has come out and tagged the demonstrators as ‘hate filled criminals’, further riling up the protestors. Well, there has been violence from all angles, and the international community has condemned the government's method of suppressing democratic expression.
International Reactions
The world has observed the developments following the 2024 Venezuela Presidential election, and there has been a number of reactions from government heads and nations. The overwhelming reaction from the world is in support of the people, who they believe have democratic rights.
Latin American and European nations, as well as the US have shared their reservations about the legitimacy of the election results. Most nations have rejected the results, and Latin nations such as Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Costa Rica have even expelled the Venezuelan diplomats in their country. However, allies of Venezuela such as Russia and China have gone on to congratulate President Maduro on his reelection.
Consequences and Uncertainty
With the majority of the world supporting the people rather than Maduro's government, rejection of the result would mean significant consequences for the nation’s international relations. There might even be cases of sanction from international organizations as they try to impose the rule of law. As this tension continues to rise, it could further escalate, as the situation in Venezuela is fragile and could further plunge the nation into more chaos.
No doubt, the Venezuela elections have hit a high-stakes standoff between the opposition and incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro. The hope is that the situation can quickly be resolved to avoid dire consequences which would further plunge the troubled state into chaos. Let’s hope reason prevails on both sides.