Maduro Declared Winner in Venezuela, Despite Opposition and Exit Polls Discrepancies

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro secured a third term with 51 percent of the vote, according to the country's election authorities. This announcement came shortly after midnight on Monday local time, despite several exit polls indicating a win for the opposition, as reported by Reuters.

The Caracas-controlled National Electoral Council revealed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 44 percent of the vote. Earlier, the opposition had claimed it had "reasons to celebrate" and urged supporters to continue monitoring the vote count.

Maduro, addressing cheering supporters at the presidential palace, called his re-election a triumph of peace and stability and reiterated his campaign claim that Venezuela's electoral system is transparent. He promised to sign a decree on Monday to initiate a "great national dialogue."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed "serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people." He urged the electoral authorities to publish detailed voting data.

Edison Research, known for its work on US elections, conducted an exit poll indicating that Gonzalez would win 65% of the vote, compared to 31% for Maduro. Similarly, local firm Meganalisis predicted 65% for Gonzalez and just under 14% for Maduro.

National Electoral Council chief Elvis Amoroso stated that about 80 percent of ballots had been counted. He explained in a televised statement that the results were delayed due to "aggression" against the election data transmission system and called for an investigation into "acts of terrorism."

The opposition reported that their representatives were not allowed at polling stations. "The results cannot be hidden. The country peacefully chose the change," Gonzalez stated on "X" at 11 p.m. local time, before the results were officially announced.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred by Maduro from participating due to her popularity, called on the military to confirm the election results. "A message to the military: The people of Venezuela have spoken—they don't want Maduro," she wrote on "X". "It's time to stand on the right side of history. You have a chance and it's now."

Despite these calls, Venezuela's military, which has consistently supported Maduro, shows no signs of withdrawing their support.

The Venezuelan opposition declared victory in the presidential election, conflicting with the government's earlier declaration of Maduro's win, according to AP. "The Venezuelan people and the whole world know what happened," said Edmundo Gonzalez in his first speech after the results were announced. Maria Corina Machado described his victory as "crushing." She mentioned that the opposition has results from about 40 percent of polling stations and expects more.

The National Electoral Office, controlled by Maduro loyalists, has not yet released results from the country's 30,000 polling stations. Chilean President Gabriel Boric found the announced results indicating Maduro's victory "hard to believe." Washington also expressed "serious concerns."

Peru has recalled its ambassador to Caracas for consultations in response to the announced results. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves attributed Maduro's victory to fraud. Conversely, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel congratulated Maduro on his "historic" victory.