BOGOTA, Colombia — Electoral authorities claimed that Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s deeply unpopular president, had received a 3rd time period in Sunday’s election, sparking accusations that his authoritarian regime had dedicated large fraud to steal victory from opposition candidate Edmundo González.

After hours of delays and uncertainty, Elvis Amoroso, president of the Nationwide Electoral Council and a detailed Maduro ally, appeared earlier than journalists shortly after midnight on Monday. He declared that Maduro had received with 51% in comparison with 44% for González, with 80% of the votes counted.

Nevertheless, opposition chief María Corina Machado insisted that González, a 74-year-old retired diplomat who took Machado’s place on the presidential poll when the regime banned her from working, had received 70% of the vote in comparison with 30% for Maduro.

“Venezuela has a brand new president, and he’s Edmundo González,” Machado informed a crowded information convention in Caracas.

As proof, Machado cited a number of exit polls and fast counts displaying González heading towards a landslide victory, in addition to paper receipts from voting machines. An exit ballot printed by the U.S. agency Edison Analysis confirmed González main Maduro 65% to 31% whereas practically all pre-election polls predicted that he would trounce Maduro.

“We received in each demographic, in each state,” Machado mentioned. “It was overwhelming. We received and the entire world is aware of this. Even the regime is aware of what occurred.”

The Nationwide Electoral Council waited for six hours after the polls closed to announce Maduro’s victory, indicating that his interior circle might have been debating the right way to deal with the outcomes. After his regime did not derail the opposition marketing campaign by way of soiled tips and by banning Machado, many political analysts believed that Maduro would resort to stealing the election.

“100% predictable,” Eric Farnsworth, vp of the Council of the Americas suppose tank, mentioned of Maduro’s declare to victory.

Maduro, 61, was first elected in 2013 following the demise of his mentor, Hugo Chávez, who based Venezuela’s socialist revolution in 1999. However Maduro is extensively despised for main Venezuela into its worst financial disaster in historical past which prompted practically 8 million Venezuelans, a few quarter of the inhabitants, to flee the nation. He has additionally been indicted by the U.S. for drug trafficking and terrorism whereas his regime is being investigated by the Worldwide Legal Court docket for crimes towards humanity.

“I’ve a clear conscience,” Maduro informed supporters gathered on the Miraflores presidential palace. “On this new time period that you’ve given me, I pledge that I’ll put my life on the road to remodel Venezuela and lead us towards a affluent way forward for financial progress, peace and social happiness.”

The Biden administration, which has threatened to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela’s very important oil trade, and different overseas governments instantly cried foul.

“Now we have critical considerations that the end result introduced doesn’t mirror the desire or the votes of the Venezuelan individuals,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned. “It is vital that each vote is counted pretty and transparently, that election officers instantly share info with the opposition and electoral observers at once and that the electoral authorities publish detailed tabulation of votes.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric wrote on X: “The Maduro regime should perceive that the outcomes they’ve printed are troublesome to imagine. Chile is not going to acknowledge any outcomes that can’t be verified.”

Brazil, Colombia and different Latin American nations expressed related considerations.

Anger and frustration with Maduro was evident on Sunday, with a number of regime loyalists loudly booed after they confirmed up at polling locations to vote. Assured that González would win, some Venezuelans chanted what has turn into a preferred opposition slogan: “It’s going to fall. It’s going to fall. This regime goes to fall!”

Some Venezuelans had been so wanting to solid their ballots for the opposition that they lined up at polling locations the night time earlier than the election. Elidio Santana, who sells bottled water on the streets of Caracas, stood in line for 4 hours to vote for González.

“We’ve been ready for 25 years” for a change of presidency, Santana mentioned, including that a number of extra hours wouldn’t matter. “We’re fed up. This nation wants a change.”

Of the estimated 5.5 million voting-age Venezuelans dwelling overseas, solely about 69,000 had been in a position to register to vote on account of crimson tape put in place by the Maduro regime. One migrant who did handle to vote was Carolina Martínez, a 50-year-old nurse who lives in neighboring Colombia however returned to Venezuela to solid her poll. She predicted {that a} González victory would persuade Venezuelans dwelling overseas to repatriate.

“Lots of people need to come again to Venezuela and to see their homeland prosper once more,” mentioned Martínez, whose 4 sons additionally reside overseas.

However with each side claiming victory, Venezuela may face an prolonged interval of unrest as many opposition supporters pledged to protest within the streets. González urged them to be peaceable because the opposition goes about gathering proof, such because the paper receipts from voting machines, that he received the election.

“Our struggle will proceed,” González informed a information convention early Monday. “We received’t cease till the desire of the individuals is revered.

Carrie Kahn contributed from Caracas.