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Venezuela’s current president continues his term of office for the third time after the chaotic presidential election

2024.08.06 08:40:08 Seohyeon Kim
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[Photo Credit to Pixabay]

Nicholás Maduro, the current Venezuela’s president, has won the presidential election against Edmundo González, marking his third term , extending his presidency until 2031.

According to the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, Maduro secured more than 51% of the vote, beating the opposition candidate González with more than 44% of the vote with 80% of the votes counted.

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However, the election’s results are disputed by the opposition party, which claims that there is a possibility of this election being an unfair one.

While the electoral authority said Maduro claimed 5.15 million votes and González claimed 4.45 million votes, the opposition party of the government said Maduro only claimed 2.75 million votes, while González claimed 6.27 million votes.

The opposition has also said that the arrest of opposition staff before the election were meant to create obstacles.

An example can be shown by the sanctions done to Maria Corina Machado, who had the highest potential to become the next president of Venezuela, in 2023.

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It has been made known that the Auditor General of Venezuela has banned Machado from holding any political positions for the next 15 years due to the fact that she rejected and criticized the current government’s policy and the ruler, Nicholas Maduro.

“The Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened,” said the opposition candidate Edmundo González.

As the election concluded amid controversy, Governments such as the USA have asked for a full tabulation of the votes.

According to the independent exit polls from one of the Western countries, 65% of Venezuelans support Gonzalez and 31% of people support Maduro.

These polls, released prior to the actual election results, suggest global support for the opposition party.

Protesters are already gathering in towns and cities across Venezuela, rebelling to the presidential election results.

It has been reported that at least 11 people have been killed, and 750 people have been arrested by the police officers led by the current president.

González has cautioned the protestors against bloodshed, from the president who will try to send the protestors home.

The protestors have been rebelling over Madura’s government since his first term of office in 2013.

After Maduro has become the president, Venezuela has struggled in their economics, having a huge economic collapse including hyperinflation.

The data from 2021 March shows that 1,000,000 Bs.S (Venezuela’s currency) only worth 52 cents.

The hyperinflation in Venezuela had a severe impact significantly on its people, prompting approximately one-third of the population has migrated to their neighboring countries such as the United States.

As the president’s policy is not much different from the previous 10 years as the ruler of Venezuela, the economic collapse and the chaotic situation is not expected to settle down for a while.

As a leading person in anti-US ideology, Maduro is expected to criticize and ban one of the most powerful countries in the globe, in their nation.

The US is also known to ban Venezuela in their exports and imports due to decisions they have made about ‘the ruin of democracy’ and ‘human rights oppression’.

While the majority of the world is rebelling against him, it remains uncertain whether Madurowill keep his position.?


Seohyeon Kim / Grade 9
ISA Science City International School