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[Global Times Special Correspondent in Brazil Shao Shijun, Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi and Liu Yupeng] The Venezuelan National Electoral Commission announced in the early morning of July 29 local time that the current President Maduro was re-elected as the President of Venezuela. This result made the United States, which was certain that "Maduro would lose this election", immediately "change its face". Before the election results were announced, US Vice President Harris wrote on the social platform X on the 28th: ​​"The United States stands with the Venezuelan people, who expressed their voices in today's historic presidential election. The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected." US Secretary of State Blinken called on all political parties in Venezuela to "respect the democratic process" in the election. After the election results were announced, Blinken immediately changed his words and said that Washington was "seriously concerned" about the accuracy of the Venezuelan election results, and called the claim that Maduro won "inaccurate". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on the 29th that China congratulated Venezuela on the smooth holding of the presidential election and congratulated President Maduro on his successful re-election. China and Venezuela are good friends and partners who support each other. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Venezuela. China attaches great importance to the development of China-Venezuela relations and is willing to work with Venezuela to continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership so as to better benefit the two peoples.

On July 29, 2024, local time, in Caracas, Venezuela, the current President Maduro won the 2024 presidential election in Venezuela. (Visual China)

Maduro received 51.2% of the vote

Venezuela held a presidential election on the 28th, with a total of 10 candidates participating. There are more than 21 million registered voters in this election, and there are more than 15,000 polling stations across the country. Data from the National Electoral Commission showed that the voter turnout in the election reached 59%. The National Electoral Commission announced in the early morning of the 29th that the counting of 80% of the votes showed that Maduro won 51.2% of the votes, which is an "irreversible trend". Edmundo Gonzalez, the candidate of the opposition alliance "Democratic Unity Alliance", won 44.2% of the votes, and the other 8 candidates won a total of 4.6% of the votes. Detailed results from each polling station are expected to be announced in the next few hours.

The date of the general election in Venezuela is July 28, which is also the birthday of former President Chavez. In March 2013, Chavez died in office and was succeeded by then Vice President Maduro. In the subsequent general election and the general election in May 2018, Maduro was re-elected. According to the Financial Times of the United Kingdom, after the election results were announced, the former bus driver and trade union activist gave a victorious speech full of fighting spirit outside the presidential palace: "I am Maduro, re-elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela." He criticized the United States for interfering in Venezuela's elections, saying that "this is not the first time they have tried to undermine peace in Venezuela." Maduro also said that the National Electoral Commission was attacked by "demons" in the Internet, and he would use an "iron fist" to fight "terrorists" who plotted against the government. This term will start in January 2025 and last for 6 years.

But the Venezuelan opposition Democratic Unity Alliance protested the election results. According to the Associated Press, the party claimed that it had won 70% of the votes, not the 44% announced by the National Electoral Commission. Opposition representatives said that the statistics they collected from 30% of the voting centers showed that Gonzalez defeated Maduro.

"Left-wing leaders in Latin America congratulated Maduro on his victory, while other countries rejected the result and called for a detailed vote count," said Turkey's Anadolu Agency. Cuban President Diaz-Canel congratulated Maduro on his re-election and promised that Cuba would fight shoulder to shoulder with Venezuela; the Nicaraguan government issued a statement, "Congratulations to the Venezuelan people on their great victory"; Honduran President Castro said that Maduro and the Venezuelan people had achieved an "undisputed victory"; Bolivian President Arce said that he would continue to strengthen friendship, cooperation and solidarity with Venezuela. The foreign ministers of nine countries including Argentina, Panama and Uruguay issued a joint communiqué, calling for all candidates' representatives to be allowed to review the vote count to ensure that the election results respect the will of the people.

US and allies 'confused'

In Western media reports on the 29th, "many countries" questioned the election results in Venezuela, mainly the United States and its European allies. According to AFP, Italian Foreign Minister Tajani said he was "confused" about Maduro's victory and "we hope to verify whether Maduro's victory really reflects the will of the Venezuelan people by rechecking the ballots."

Before the election results in Venezuela were announced, the US media almost unanimously said that the opposition would win the election. The Washington Post even published a headline saying: "Venezuela exit polls show that the opposition defeated Maduro by a huge margin." The report said that according to data from the Edison Research Center in the United States, Gonzalez won 65% of the votes and Maduro won 31%.

The Associated Press said that Venezuelan law does not allow exit polls. However, after the election, opposition leaders celebrated online and outside several voting centers, and they were sure that Gonzalez would win an overwhelming victory. NBC News said that whether Maduro or his main opponent Gonzalez was elected president, this election would have a chain reaction throughout the Americas.

The Financial Times of the United Kingdom stated that Maduro's victory put Washington in a dilemma. The Biden administration held secret negotiations with Maduro, trying to ensure that Venezuela holds "competitive elections" in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Venezuela has severed diplomatic relations with the United States since January 2019 due to the United States' continued interference in Venezuela's internal affairs and attempts to overthrow the Maduro government through coups and other means. The United States has continuously increased its economic sanctions on Venezuela, including banning Venezuelan crude oil exports.

'They didn't see any complaints'

According to TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his successful re-election on the 29th. He said that the relationship between Russia and Venezuela is of the nature of a strategic partnership and that Maduro is "an always welcome guest on Russian soil."

Celso Amorim, international affairs adviser to Brazilian President Lula, led a delegation to monitor the election in Caracas, Venezuela. He welcomed the peaceful conduct of the election and refuted the view that there was fraud in the vote, saying that the Brazilian government would wait for the National Electoral Council to release all the necessary data so that it could make an assessment based on the facts.

According to a report by RIA Novosti on the 29th, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergei Melik-Baghdasarov said that the results of the Venezuelan presidential election were transparent and credible. Observers from Russia visited several polling stations that day and "they did not see any complaints."

The Russian newspaper "Gazeta" quoted Boris Rozin, an expert from the Russian Military and Political News Center, as saying that attempts by some pro-American regimes in Latin America to overthrow the Maduro government have failed again, but the United States and its puppets will not give up their attempt to establish a regime loyal to them in Venezuela.