Venezuela‘s ruling party swept regional and parliamentary elections in a landslide on Sunday, tightening President Nicolás Maduro‘s grip on power after a low-turnout vote marred by widespread opposition abstention and international criticism.
State media declared victories for key Maduro allies, including his wife Cilia Flores and party chief Jorge Rodríguez. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela won control of 23 out of 24 governorships, according to preliminary results from the National Electoral Council.
The council estimated turnout at 43 per cent, above pre-election forecasts. A separate projection by the opposition established participation at 13 per cent by 5pm on Sunday, one hour before voting centres were set to close.
“This is a victory for the peace and stability of all Venezuela,” Mr Maduro said in front of a crowd in downtown Caracas following the results.
The vote, held months earlier than usual, followed presidential elections in July that were widely condemned as fraudulent by international observers. The government’s acceleration of the electoral calendar gave the fractured opposition little time to organise, further dampening turnout amid economic hardship and international isolation. María Corina Machado, the opposition’s most popular figure, led calls for a boycott, declaring the process illegitimate.
The result marks a significant consolidation of power for Mr Maduro, who has ruled since the late Hugo Chávez’s death in 2013 and now commands full control of all branches of government.
Mr Maduro has used the campaign period to stoke nationalist sentiment, reviving Venezuela’s long-standing claim to the oil-rich Essequibo region in Guyana – despite an order by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice to halt activity in the disputed territory. His party’s candidates appeared on ballots – and won – in the region anyway.
Interior minister Diosdado Cabello said about 70 individuals were arrested ahead of the vote in what he described as a foiled plot to disrupt the election through “terrorist actions”.
Meanwhile, economic pressures are intensifying. Soaring inflation, a collapsing bolivar and the potential removal of US licenses for foreign oil producers are expected to shrink Venezuela’s GDP by 5 per cent this year. Chevron Corp and other foreign oil operators are scheduled to wind down most operations by May 27th, worsening a foreign currency crunch that has tanked imports and public services.
After that period it’s expected that Chevron will receive a narrowly tailored license allowing it to conduct minimal maintenance in the country.
A state department official said the US would “continue to deny any funding the Maduro regime uses to oppress the Venezuelan people”. − Bloomberg
