Venezuelan Government Claims Victory in Boycotted Regional and Legislative Elections

The Venezuelan National Electoral Council, dominated by allies of President Nicolás Maduro, declared late Sunday night that his party secured a decisive victory in the regional and legislative elections.

No independent observers were present, and critics denounced the elections as a staged event designed to legitimize Maduro’s administration.

Announced on state television without supporting evidence, the results stripped the opposition of some of their remaining positions, including the governorship of Zulia, the country’s most populous state and a key hub for its oil industry.

Although streets and polling centers appeared largely deserted, the electoral council claimed voter turnout surpassed 40%. Unlike prior elections before 2024, the council did not publish results online.

Benigno Alarcón, a political scientist at the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, stated that the elections failed to meet basic democratic standards.

This announcement follows presidential elections held less than a year ago, in which Maduro declared victory despite vote counts indicating a clear loss to his opponent, Edmundo González. Independent observers had validated the vote tally as accurate and described Maduro’s claim as a falsification.