Maduro wins election after mass boycott
President triumphs but is widely condemned as half of Venezuelans heed the call not to cast their vote
STEPPING out in front of the cameras following his election win, President Nicolas Maduro triumphantly waved to what appeared to be an empty plaza.
The video circulating on social media after Sunday’s election was quickly seized upon by critics as an appropriate metaphor. Mr Maduro cruised to victory in the face of an opposition boycott, earning 68 per cent of the vote; but the vote was marred by high abstention rates of around 50 per cent.
Yesterday he faced condemnation internally and from abroad as former partners, neighbours and world powers rounded on his stewardship of Venezuela’s economic collapse that has left most of the country living in poverty.
The Trump administration dismissed the election as a “sham” with Mike Pence, the US vice president, calling it “a further blow to the proud democratic tradition of Venezuela”.
Speaking from the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, acknowledged that more sanctions could be necessary.
The Lima Group, an organisation of 12 American countries that aims to devise solutions to the Venezuela crisis, promised not to recognise the results and recalled its ambassadors from Caracas for consultations.
“These elections didn’t comply with international standards of a democratic process that is free, fair, and transparent,” the group said in a statement. Main opposition parties had called for their supporters to boycott the process, citing a lack of basic electoral guarantees and transparency. “I decided I wasn’t going to fall into their trap again like I had before,” said Raquel Hernandez Monday, an opposition supporter. We knew what these results would be from the beginning.” Instead of voting, she spent the day washing clothes and cooking “to take advantage since there’s water.” As part of the country’s crisis, water shortages and blackouts have become common. Pictures on Twitter showed election workers asleep at their desks as most in opposition strongholds seemed to heed their leaders’ calls for a boycott.
Henri Falcon, a former governor who broke with the opposition coalition to take on the president, earned 21 per cent of the vote. “This revolution cannot be defeated and those elites will never return,” said Juan Torres, a government supporter, yesterday. “This is an independent Venezuela and not the United States’ back yard.”
After results were released on Sunday night, Mr Torres blasted pro-government songs in his slum as others in high-rise apartment buildings beat sauce pans in protest.
Pro-government gangs known as colectivos took to Caracas’ streets on motorbikes, revving their engines in opposition majority areas in an apparent warning against anyone considering protesting.