Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is facing growing protests over what most election observers say is a fraudulent election. Before the election, his opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez, was polling far over 50% against the Venezuelan strongman who promised bloodshed if he lost the election. From CNN:
"In the capital Caracas, security forces deployed tear gas to disperse a large crowd of protesters, while crowds of people were seen walking down a main road banging pots and pans as anger rose over Maduro’s victory on Sunday. PROVEA, a Venezuelan human rights organization, said pro-Maduro armed groups shot at peaceful demonstrators in Avenue Urdaneta.
Protests were also reported in other cities, including Maracay, where opposition activist Esthefania Natera told CNN that people were on the streets 'to yell and demand to tell the truth because we know the real results.' In the coastal state of Falcón, demonstrators toppled a statue of Maduro, video on social media showed.
Analysts say there could be a new wave of unrest in the country if there are widespread protests against the regime. Street demonstrations in previous years were crushed by the country’s military, which has long supported Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez." (our emphasis)
Seventy-three percent of the tally sheets obtained by the opposition indicate that Gonzalez showed more than 6 million votes for him, and only 2.7 million votes for Maduro, roughly paralleling the pre-election polls. For Maduro, this is business as usual:
"The opposition said its witnesses were denied access to the National Electoral Council (CNE) headquarters as votes were being counted, and alleged that the electoral authority had prevented more votes from being processed. The government has also been accused of rigging votes in the past, which it denied.
Maduro’s government controls almost all state institutions, including the CNE, which was accused in 2017 of manipulating turnout figures by a software company that provided the voting technology. The CNE previously denied the assertion." (our emphasis)
International reaction was negative throughout Latin America and elsewhere in the world, with the exception of similar far left regimes in Cuba, Honduras, Bolivia and of course Russia, which sees Venezuela as a foothold in South America to spread anti-American policies.
