US Expresses 'Serious Concern' As Both Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro And Opposition Claim Election Win

In a recent development, Anthony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has raised ‘serious concerns’ regarding the Venezuelan presidential election results. Both the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition candidate have claimed victory in the election.

What Happened: Blinken questioned the election results announced by the Venezuelan Electoral Commission, which declared Maduro as the winner, AP News reported on Monday. Blinken stated that the results did not seem to reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.

Blinken urged the election officials to immediately and transparently publish the full results. He also emphasized that the international community is closely monitoring the situation and will respond accordingly.

In Venezuela, the election results were delayed by several hours. The National Electoral Council, controlled by Maduro loyalists, announced Maduro’s victory without releasing the polling booth tallies. This is despite multiple exit polls predicting an opposition victory, sparking concerns about potential electoral fraud.

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Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from running, claimed an “overwhelming” victory for the opposition’s candidate, Edmundo González, based on voting tallies from about 40% of ballot boxes nationwide.

Despite the official results, both Maduro and Gonzalez claimed victory in the election. The controversy has led to doubt and tension, with isolated incidents reported around the country.

Why It Matters: The Venezuelan election has drawn international attention and concern. Prior to the election, Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her support for the Venezuelan people and emphasized that their will must be respected. She stated that the United States "stands with" the people of Venezuela.

Following the election results, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the Venezuelan elections a “travesty.”

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Photo via Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari