Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) has declared a sweeping victory in the country’s regional and parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by most major opposition parties.
According to the government-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE), PSUV candidates secured governorships in 23 out of Venezuela’s 24 states. The council also reported that the ruling coalition won 82.68% of the vote in the National Assembly elections.
However, opposition leaders and independent observers have questioned the legitimacy of the process. María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition figure currently in hiding, described the elections as a “farce,” claiming that voter turnout was below 15%. In contrast, the CNE placed turnout at 42.6%.
Machado, who was barred from contesting public office and supported presidential hopeful Edmundo González in last year’s election, criticised the elections and urged voters to abstain. “We voted on 28 July. On 25 May, we won’t vote,” she said in a video statement.
Independent journalists reported low voter turnout at polling stations, and some polling units appeared deserted throughout the day.
The CNE has faced longstanding accusations of lacking independence. Its head, Elvis Amoroso, is a former legal adviser to President Nicolás Maduro. Last year, the CNE drew international criticism when it declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election without publishing the detailed vote counts. Meanwhile, the opposition presented independent tallies suggesting Edmundo González had won by a wide margin. González has since gone into exile in Spain following a crackdown on the opposition.
Despite the boycott, a few opposition figures chose to participate, including Henrique Capriles, Zulia State Governor Manuel Rosales, and Juan Requesens, who was previously imprisoned over an alleged assassination plot against President Maduro.
Capriles, who was elected to the National Assembly, defended his decision to run, telling El País: “Voting in Venezuela is an act of resistance and resilience.” His stance drew criticism from those supporting the boycott, with Machado accusing participating politicians of “betraying the cause.”
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The PSUV’s gains included reclaiming control of the states of Zulia and Barinas the latter being the birthplace of the late President Hugo Chávez. Only Cojedes State remains under opposition control, where incumbent Alberto Galíndez was re-elected.
The elections were preceded by a wave of arrests, with over 70 individuals detained for allegedly plotting to disrupt the vote. Among them was Juan Pablo Guanipa, a senior ally of Machado, whom the government accused of terrorism. Machado denounced the arrests as “pure state terrorism.”
President Maduro praised the results as a “victory for peace and stability,” despite widespread concern over electoral fairness and democratic backsliding.
