Venezuela's Presidential Election: Protests, Disputed Results, and International Pressure

Amidst the deep political tension and wave of popular protests following the announcement of the presidential election results in Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro has responded by cracking down and radicalizing the response of the Chavista regime.

Security forces have responded with force, resulting in an indeterminate number of deaths, injuries, and hundreds of arrests. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has gone into hiding, claiming that the election was won by Edmundo González with evidence obtained from more than 80% of the polling stations in the country.

The international community has expressed doubts about the election, but there is skepticism about the ability to pressure Maduro in the short term. Maduro has announced the creation of two maximum-security prisons to punish those protesting the allegations of electoral fraud.

The National Electoral Council has yet to release detailed results, adding to the controversy surrounding the election.