Venezuela’s ruling socialist party won all but three races for governor in regional elections on Sunday that were marked splits within the US-backed opposition and voter apathy following seven years economic recession.
Government candidates took 20 of 23 states, according to results announced by the National Electoral Council just after midnight, with more than 90 percent of votes counted.
The widely expected victory for President Nicolas Maduro’s party, the PSUV, strengthens his control as he tries to rebuild the country’s standing internationally.
Photo: AFP
“The results should be respected by all Venezuelans and we must prepare for a new era,” Maduro said after results were announced.
“We have to continue learning from the people, correcting our mistakes,” he said, also calling for dialogue with elected opposition governors and mayors.
The fractured opposition, running candidates after boycotting recent elections, captured just three governors’ seats. They had won five seats the last time they competed in 2017.
The EU, which deployed an electoral observation mission for the first time since 2006, made only brief remarks on Sunday and canceled an afternoon media briefing. Its preliminary report is scheduled to be released today.
Weighed down by an economic collapse, US sanctions, a crippled oil industry and an International Criminal Court investigation, Maduro is seeking the international community’s seal of approval for the election after votes in previous years were deemed fraudulent.
More than 300 electoral observers from the EU, the UN and the Carter Center, among others, were monitoring the vote.
“The EU will likely see that, although these elections were an important step, there’s still a lot to be done to have competitive elections in Venezuela and that abstention is a reality,” said Ricardo Sucre, a professor at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas.
The vote was marked by low turnout and scattered reports of irregularities. About 42 percent of voters cast ballots, compared to more than 60 percent in 2017.
At least one violent incident was reported, in Zulia state, where one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting outside a polling center. The government said it was not related to the election. Human rights group Foro Penal said that at least 13 arrests were made throughout the day.
After Sunday’s vote, Maduro ruled out, at least temporarily, restarting political negotiations with the opposition, which were suspended last month after the US extradited government ally Alex Saab to face money laundering charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
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