María Corina Machado Photo: CNN
According to Bloomberg, tensions are rising in Venezuela after the authorities named opposition leader María Corina Machado as a key suspect in the investigation into alleged election violations in the presidential vote on Sunday. This escalation comes amid disputed voting results.
Accusations and the Situation in the Capital
Prosecutor Tarek William Saab claimed that Machado was allegedly involved in a plot to alter the voting results transmitted from polling stations to the electoral authority’s headquarters. However, Saab stopped short of issuing an arrest warrant for Machado or presenting specific charges. This move may lead to further international criticism of Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Following Saab’s press conference, mass protests erupted in the capital. Protesters took to the streets demanding that the election results be recognized as fraudulent. Demonstrators blocked the main highway connecting Caracas to the La Guaira international airport, cutting off all traffic to the airport. National guardsmen arrived to disperse the crowd.
Maduro’s Victory in Question
According to the electoral authority, Maduro won the election with 51.2% of the votes, while his opponent, Edmundo González, received 44.2%. The opposition rejects these results, claiming that unofficial data shows González won with 70% of the votes.
The international community, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, is demanding evidence of Maduro’s victory, while Panama has announced a temporary suspension of relations with the Venezuelan government. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed serious concerns that the announced results may not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.
International Reaction and Political Situation
The head of Venezuela’s electoral authority, controlled by Maduro’s allies, confirmed his victory following Saab’s statement. Meanwhile, the Carter Center, invited as an election observer, has called for the immediate release of polling center-level data.
The Biden administration will decide on further sanctions against Venezuela based on whether Maduro’s government fully releases the election data.
A survey conducted by Caracas-based firm Delphos found that nearly 40% of Venezuelans believe protests are necessary until the true results of the election are recognized.
Photo: EADaily
Social and Economic Impact
Although Maduro has managed to stabilize the economy and control hyperinflation, he remains at the center of one of the deepest humanitarian and economic crises in modern history, leading to the exodus of 7.7 million people.
María Corina Machado and Edmundo González sought to dismantle government economic controls, privatize the oil industry, and reunite families torn apart by the diaspora. Their movement has been a significant factor similar to that seen during the rise of Hugo Chávez in the 1990s.
According to Saab, the alleged cyberattack on the election results was organized from North Macedonia and was supposedly planned by Machado along with Leopoldo López and Lester Toledo, leaders of the Popular Will party. Both are in exile.
Expectations and Future Developments
Machado appeared in public early Monday morning after the initial election results were announced. She is expected to address reporters in Caracas later today.
This situation is likely to remain a focal point for the international community and could further intensify Venezuela’s internal and external political crisis.
