On Sunday, Venezuela faced its most important election after 25 years of socialist party rule. Despite the opposition rallying significant support and warning of potential irregularities, President Nicolás Maduro remains confident in his victory.
Despite being banned from holding public office, opposition leader María Corina Machado is still the star of the coalition campaign, passing the torch to candidate Edmundo González. The 74-year-old former diplomat is known for his calm demeanor.
González even garnered support from some former ruling party supporters, but the opposition and observers questioned the fairness of the election before the vote, pointing to decisions by election authorities and the arrests of opposition workers as obstacles.
Maduro stated that Venezuela has the most transparent election system in the world and warned of "bloody events" if he loses. In 2018, his re-election was deemed fraudulent by countries like the United States.
According to election law, polling stations close at 6 PM local time but remain open for those still in line.
Attorney General Tarek Saab told Reuters ahead of the conference that he does not expect any violence, stating that aside from some isolated incidents, the voting process is peaceful.
