Venezuela erupts in violent protests after disputed election results

Violent protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other major cities after the results of Sunday's presidential election were announced. The electoral commission declared Nicolás Maduro the winner, while the Venezuelan opposition claims its candidate, Edmundo González, won. Observers contend that these were not democratic elections.

After the election results for the president's office in Venezuela were announced, the country was shaken. Angry people took to the streets on Monday. Non-governmental organizations report that at least 11 people were killed and dozens were injured as a result of the violence during the protests.

Opponents of the Maduro regime gathered in Caracas, heading toward the presidential palace. Heavily armed police repelled them with tear gas and barricades of shields and batons. At times, the roles reversed, and National Guard soldiers fled down the streets from the angry crowds.

The government condemned the protests as an attempt at a "coup d'état," reacting to the news that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote, extending a quarter-century of socialist rule.

Nicolás Maduro asserts he can present evidence of his electoral advantage. However, as of Thursday, he had not done so, claiming a hacking attempt on the electoral commission's website as the reason.

Maduro also claims to have "proof" that opposition leader María Corina Machado was behind the "violence." He emphasized that the protesters were violating the constitution. He has appealed to the Supreme Court to take actions that could pave the way for mass arrests of opposition activists and protesters.

According to AFP, the chief U.S. diplomat in Latin America, Brian Nichols, stated that the evidence indicates President Maduro lost.

"The tabulation of these detailed results clearly show an irrefutable result: Edmundo Gonzalez won with 67 percent of these votes compared to 30 percent for Maduro," he said in a speech at a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).

On Wednesday, the American Carter Center, invited by Venezuelan officials to monitor Sunday's presidential election, announced that it could not verify nor confirm the election results announced by the CNE. The Center also stated that the secrecy of detailed results from individual polling stations "electoral process did not meet international standards of electoral integrity."

President Maduro frequently quoted a statement by the Carter Center's founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who said in 2012, "As a matter of fact, of the 92 elections that we've monitored, I would say the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world." This time, there are serious doubts about the results.

According to Venezuela's Attorney General, over 1,000 people have been arrested in the riots. He also reported that two members of the security forces were killed during the protests.

On Wednesday, President Maduro told the media that Machado and González 'should be behind bars.' Costa Rica's foreign minister proposed political asylum for the pair, but the opposition leader refused, explaining that her "duty is to continue this fight with the people."

Late Wednesday evening, Machado called on her supporters via social media to "mobilize." She wrote on X: "It’s time to trust each other. Remain active and determined. Winning took some time; now, it's time to gather," she urged.

Maduro said that his government had contacted both China and Russia for help regarding the alleged attacks on electoral authorities' systems. Venezuela's Minister of Defense, General Vladimir Padrino, stated that "a coup is underway" but emphasized that the country's armed forces would help defeat it.

The 61-year-old president is a former union leader and foreign minister. He won the election after the death of former President Hugo Chávez in 2013. The opposition claimed the 2018 election was rigged.

Maduro's victory may lead to further expansion of migration from Venezuela. Once the wealthiest country on the continent, it has already seen the emigration of one-third of its population.