Venezuela plunged into political turmoil on July 29 as both President Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González claimed victory in a high-stakes presidential election, setting the stage for a contentious power struggle in the crisis-ridden South American nation.

The National Electoral Council (CNE), led by Maduro ally Elvis Amoroso, announced that with 80% of ballots counted, Maduro had secured 51% of the vote compared to 44% for González. However, the opposition swiftly rejected these results, asserting that their own tallies showed González winning with a commanding 70% of the votes.

"Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened," González said, dismissing the official results as fraudulent.

The disputed outcome has drawn international scrutiny, with several foreign governments expressing scepticism about the declared results. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States has "serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."

Commenting on the results in a post on X, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, said that “The people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers. Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital."

The United Kingdom expressed concern over alleged irregularities in Venezuela's presidential election vote count and called for swift publication of detailed results.
"We are concerned by allegations of irregularities," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement, urging "swift and transparent publication of full, detailed results" to ensure the outcome reflects voters' will.

Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric echoed these sentiments, saying, "The Maduro regime should understand that the results it published are difficult to believe."

Neighbouring Colombia urged Caracas to conduct a complete recount and independent audit of votes from its recent presidential election, following President Nicolas Maduro's contested victory.

"We call for, as soon as possible, a total vote count, its verification and an independent audit," Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said in a post on X.

Peru has recalled its ambassador to Caracas for consultations, Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea announced.

"Given the very serious official statements [accusing Peru of interfering in the electoral process] by representatives of the Venezuelan electoral system, it was decided to immediately recall the Peruvian ambassador accredited to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for consultations," Gonzalez-Olaechea stated.

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his re-election, stating, "Russian-Venezuelan relations have the nature of a strategic partnership. I am confident that your activity as head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development on all tracks."

China has also extended congratulations to Venezuela on its recent presidential election and to Maduro on his re-election, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the statement during a regular press briefing in response to a question about the Venezuelan poll.
Lin described China and Venezuela as "good friends and partners," emphasising Beijing's commitment to bilateral relations.

The election, seen by many Venezuelans as their best chance to end 25 years of socialist rule, corruption and mismanagement, was marked by high voter turnout and initial optimism among opposition supporters. However, the mood quickly soured as official results contradicted widespread expectations of an opposition victory.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado claimed González's margin of victory was "overwhelming," based on voting tallies received from representatives at about 40% of ballot boxes. However, authorities delayed releasing detailed results, hampering independent verification efforts.

Maduro, addressing supporters at the presidential palace, accused unidentified "foreign enemies" of attempting to hack the voting system, though he provided no evidence to support this claim.

The election's outcome will have significant implications for Venezuela and the broader region. The country's ongoing political and economic crisis has already driven nearly 8mn Venezuelans to flee abroad, and there are concerns that a Maduro victory could accelerate this exodus.

As tensions escalate, the international community watches closely, with the legitimacy of Venezuela's electoral process once again under intense scrutiny. The opposition has vowed to challenge the results, setting the stage for a prolonged period of uncertainty in a nation already grappling with severe economic hardship and political instability.