Maduro Calls Venezuelans to Vote Again Amid Controversial Election Claims

Nearly a year after independent observers accused Nicolás Maduro of falsifying presidential election results, the Venezuelan president is once again urging citizens to vote this Sunday.

In the previous election, Maduro declared victory despite official counts indicating a clear defeat. Following the disputed results, a harsh crackdown on protesters ensued, with hundreds still detained. This upcoming vote will determine members of the National Assembly and governors across Venezuela’s 23 states.

No independent election monitors will oversee the process, and many Venezuelans remain skeptical, expecting the results to be manipulated once more. Analysts suggest Maduro is orchestrating the election to create an illusion of democratic legitimacy.

Benigno Alarcón, director of the Center for Political and Government Studies at Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, commented that the election "merely serves to sustain the existing power structure without genuine change."

Despite widespread concerns, some opposition candidates have chosen to participate.

The vote has reopened divisions within the opposition, which had largely united around Edmundo González last year. González, a former ambassador, was reported to have secured over 60 percent of the presidential vote according to a ballot tally reviewed by an independent monitoring organization.