Maduro Claims Third Term Amid Contested Election Results

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has secured a third term with 51% of the vote, despite exit polls indicating an opposition victory. Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 44% of the vote, and opposition leaders called on the military to honor the public's choice, questioning the integrity of the electoral process.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has clinched a third term with 51% of the vote, according to the country's electoral authority, which announced the results shortly after midnight on Monday with 80% of ballot boxes counted.

Despite exit polls predicting an opposition win, the authority reported that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 44% of the vote. The opposition, however, had previously declared they had "reasons to celebrate" and urged its supporters to keep monitoring the vote counts.

"The results cannot be hidden. The country has peacefully chosen a change," Gonzalez posted on X around 11 p.m. local time before the official results were disclosed. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado also called for the military to uphold the results, stating, "The people of Venezuela have spoken: they don't want Maduro." However, Venezuela's military has traditionally supported Maduro, showing no public signs of breaking from the administration.