Vice President and presumptive Democratic Nominee For 2024 Presidential Elections, Kamala Harris, has voiced her support for the Venezuelan people in the wake of their landmark presidential election, amidst rising concerns about potential electoral fraud.
What Happened: Harris took to X on Sunday to say that the United States “stands with” the people of Venezuela. She said that the “will of the Venezuelan people must be respected.”
As reported by Reuters, the Venezuelan election, the most consequential in 25 years of socialist party governance, saw President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election is widely deemed fraudulent, express confidence in his victory. Despite being barred from holding public office, Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been a key figure in the coalition campaign.
Edmundo Gonzalez, a 74-year-old former diplomat, is the opposition’s candidate. Despite gaining support from former ruling party supporters, the fairness of the election has been called into question by the opposition and observers, citing decisions by electoral authorities and arrests of opposition staff as potential hindrances.
According to Attorney General Tarek Saab, the voting was largely peaceful, barring a few isolated incidents. The results were anticipated on Sunday night.
Maduro’s administration has presided over an economic collapse, mass migration, and a significant decline in diplomatic relations, with sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and others. If re-elected, Maduro has pledged peace and economic growth, aiming to lessen Venezuela’s reliance on oil income.
Opposition leaders Gonzalez and Machado have promised major changes and believe a fresh start may motivate Venezuelan migrants to return. They also expect the military to uphold the election results.
Why It Matters: The US has been closely monitoring the Venezuelan election, given the history of alleged electoral fraud and the impact of the country’s economic collapse. According to a Benzinga report from April 2024, the Biden administration was contemplating reinstating oil sanctions on Venezuela due to concerns over the fairness of the election.
The report highlighted that President Maduro had allegedly not fulfilled his commitments regarding free and fair elections, leading to the potential reintroduction of punitive measures on Venezuela's oil and gas sector.
Image via Shutterstock
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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