n 28 July 2024, Venezuela held its long–awaited presidential elections with more than ten candidates. The main parties competing were the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), led by President Nicolás Maduro, and the Democratic Unitary Platform with candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, a former academic and diplomat. The day after the election, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), often accused of being under the government's control, declared Maduro the winner, having secured over 51% of the votes.
Electoral fraud implicated
The Venezuelan elections have been contested in the country and abroad. María Corina Machado, the opposition's leader, claimed that its party had won the election with over 73% of the votes. In August 2024, mass protests erupted across Venezuela, calling for recognition of the opposition's electoral victory. The government of Maduro responded with a violent crackdown that resulted in about 22 people killed and hundreds injured. The Venezuelan diaspora organized similar demonstrations globally—particularly in Mexico City, Sydney, and Tokyo.
The Carter Center, along with the UN Panel of Electoral Experts, were the two foreign organizations permitted to monitor the 2024 electoral process. In its statement released on 30 July, the Carter Center declared that the Venezuelan elections failed to meet international standards of integrity and could not be considered democratic. As factors affecting the vote, it pointed to limited freedom for civil society organizations and political actors, biased media coverage in favor of Maduro, and issues with the registration process for opposition parties.
International reactions
At the international level, it is currently impossible for multilateral involvement through the United Nations because Russia and China have already recognized Maduro's reelection. The Venezuelan issue will likely further exacerbate tensions between Washington and the Moscow–Beijing alliance; although, to a lesser extent compared to the invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At the regional level, the U.S. and other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, did not recognize Maduro's electoral win. From 2018 to 2023, there has been a democratic recession in the continent, and a potential Maduro reelection could worsen this trend even further. Another significant concern for regional politics is immigration. Under Maduro, approximately 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country, and many others have said they plan to go if he is reelected, thus continuing to fuel one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises in recent decades.
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Venezuela's 2024 election remains hotly contested
September 12, 2024
A month and a half after Venezuela’s presidential election, the results remain heavily contested both home and abroad. The country’s future hinges on the outcome, as millions of Venezuelans have left the country, and more are expected to follow if Maduro retains power, writes Elia Preto Martini.
O
n 28 July 2024, Venezuela held its long–awaited presidential elections with more than ten candidates. The main parties competing were the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), led by President Nicolás Maduro, and the Democratic Unitary Platform with candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, a former academic and diplomat. The day after the election, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), often accused of being under the government's control, declared Maduro the winner, having secured over 51% of the votes.
Electoral fraud implicated
The Venezuelan elections have been contested in the country and abroad. María Corina Machado, the opposition's leader, claimed that its party had won the election with over 73% of the votes. In August 2024, mass protests erupted across Venezuela, calling for recognition of the opposition's electoral victory. The government of Maduro responded with a violent crackdown that resulted in about 22 people killed and hundreds injured. The Venezuelan diaspora organized similar demonstrations globally—particularly in Mexico City, Sydney, and Tokyo.
The Carter Center, along with the UN Panel of Electoral Experts, were the two foreign organizations permitted to monitor the 2024 electoral process. In its statement released on 30 July, the Carter Center declared that the Venezuelan elections failed to meet international standards of integrity and could not be considered democratic. As factors affecting the vote, it pointed to limited freedom for civil society organizations and political actors, biased media coverage in favor of Maduro, and issues with the registration process for opposition parties.
International reactions
At the international level, it is currently impossible for multilateral involvement through the United Nations because Russia and China have already recognized Maduro's reelection. The Venezuelan issue will likely further exacerbate tensions between Washington and the Moscow–Beijing alliance; although, to a lesser extent compared to the invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At the regional level, the U.S. and other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, did not recognize Maduro's electoral win. From 2018 to 2023, there has been a democratic recession in the continent, and a potential Maduro reelection could worsen this trend even further. Another significant concern for regional politics is immigration. Under Maduro, approximately 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country, and many others have said they plan to go if he is reelected, thus continuing to fuel one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises in recent decades.
