Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the country's national elections yesterday. As of this writing, officials said Maduro held a 51.2% lead over rival Edmundo González, who had 44%, with 80% of ballots counted. Opposition leaders claimed widespread corruption and pledged to challenge the results.
The election is believed to be the biggest test to the ruling socialist party since the death of Hugo Chávez. The announced results were at odds with exit polling, which showed González with over 60% of the vote compared to 30% for Maduro.
Maduro has ruled since Chávez's death in 2013 and has warned of a "bloodbath" if he was defeated. González is a former diplomat and stand-in for María Corina Machado, herself a former lawmaker barred from running on corruption allegations. González has led Maduro by double digits in recent polls.
The Biden administration has conditioned sanctions relief on free and fair elections. Once the richest country in South America, Venezuela has undergone a prolonged economic crisis. At least 7.7 million people—roughly one-quarter of the country's population—have fled since 2015.
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