Maduro Secures Election Victory amid Opposition Boycott

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his ruling party have claimed a decisive victory in recent parliamentary and regional elections, which were widely boycotted by opposition groups.

According to preliminary figures released by the National Electoral Council (CNE), the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies secured 82.68% of the votes for the National Assembly. This win guarantees their continued control over influential institutions, such as the attorney general’s office and the Supreme Court, whose justices are selected by the 285-seat legislature.

The CNE also reported that pro-government candidates captured 23 of the 24 state governorships, marking a major loss for the opposition, which previously held four.

Voter turnout stood at about 8.9 million, or 42% of the 21 million eligible voters  a rate comparable to that of the 2021 elections, said CNE chief Carlos Quintero.

The opposition had encouraged a boycott of the election in protest of the presidential election held in July 2024, which they claim they won. Nevertheless, Maduro was officially declared the winner. Prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado stated on social media that abstention reached as high as 85% in some areas, calling the election a "massive farce" aimed at covering up Maduro’s alleged defeat in 2024.

Maduro dismissed the boycott’s significance, stating, “When the opponent withdraws, we move forward and take the ground.”

While government media shared images of long voting lines in regions like Trujillo and Amazonas, reports from journalists and users on social media suggested that turnout was notably low in major cities.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Teresa Bo, reporting from Argentina, pointed out that opposition parties were divided over the boycott, which undermined their ability to challenge Maduro effectively. She also noted that many analysts questioned whether the vote was free and fair.

Election day was marked by heightened security, with over 400,000 agents deployed and more than 70 arrests made. Among those detained was opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa, accused of leading a "terrorist network" allegedly planning to disrupt the election.

Authorities claimed foreign mercenaries had entered from Colombia, leading to the temporary closure of the border.

Despite presiding over an economy battered by mismanagement and international sanctions, Maduro’s party has retained political dominance. In recent developments, the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, revoked Chevron’s authorization to extract Venezuelan oil  a potential economic blow to the regime. Washington has also rescinded deportation protections for 350,000 Venezuelan migrants and deported hundreds to a high-security prison in El Salvador.