Venezuela's recent presidential election has sparked controversy with rival claims of victory from incumbent Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. The government's violent crackdown on protesters has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, voiced by international observers including the Organization of American States and the Carter Center.
While some, like Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, deny evidence of fraud in the official tally, a senior US diplomat has declared that the opposition clearly defeated Maduro in the election. The opposition has alleged protest deaths and a significant loss for Maduro, while demanding transparent vote counting with international oversight.
The Carter Center has condemned the election as undemocratic, and the OAS has urged Maduro to acknowledge Gonzalez Urrutia's victory. The unrest in Venezuela is being attributed by Maduro to a far-right conspiracy, linking it to a global extreme-right movement.
As isolation grows for Maduro, Peru has become the first country to recognize Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect. This situation marks a significant shift from the promises of a more inclusive democracy and socialist revolution made by former president Hugo Chavez, with Venezuela now facing an authoritarian regime and an economic crisis.
