The fragmented Venezuelan opposition suffered a setback this Monday (22), when official figures for regional elections on Sunday (21) show that Chavismo won 20 of the country’s 23 governments, as well as the mayor of the capital Caracas.
The election, which was the first with the participation of international observers in 15 years and also marked the return of the opposition, absent since 2018, was attended by only 41.8% of voters.
In the last regionals, in October 2017, the participation was 61%, according to official data. In the last year’s parliamentary elections, turnout was 31%. In 2015, in the last election considered free, 74% of voters participated.
Among the states that will now be controlled by the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela), of dictator Nicolás Maduro, is Táchira, on the border with Colombia, a sensitive region between the two countries and traditionally opposed. One of the three regions conquered by the opposition is Zulia, the most populous state in the country.
The opposition’s defeat was already predicted by experts, but the poor performance was seen as a worrying indicator for the 2024 presidential elections. Luis Vicente León, economist and president of Instituto Datanálisis, Venezuela’s leading and most respected polling firm, said the high abstention (52.8%) and fragmentation were the definitive factors for the results.
“The objective pursued by the moderate opposition in promoting participation in regional elections was to validate parties and leaders and organize changes in the opposition itself,” León wrote on a social network. “It is evident that this result, which is very negative, does not reach this objective.”
Opposition to the Maduro regime is divided, mainly, between the anti-Chavista coalitions MUD (Democracy Unity Table) and the Democratic Alliance. The president of Datanálisis calls the split a regrettable mistake, especially since the sum of the votes of the two alliances across the country, he says, shows that there is significant force against the Maduro regime.
Several opponents, one of them former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, said on Monday that, if united, the opposition would have enough votes to win 10 governments, more than triple what was achieved in a fragmented way.
Tomas Guanipa, opposition candidate for the Caracas mayor, said the results show that it is urgent to rethink the strategy adopted so far. “What is undeniable is that the vast majority of this country wants change and that’s what we’re going to fight for.”
Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognized as Venezuela’s interim president by dozens of countries, did not vote and remained silent. This week, Guaidó defended “unifying the struggle” against Maduro after the elections and insisted on seeking an agreement in negotiations undertaken by the regime and the opposition in Mexico, which have been stalled since the extradition to the US of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, linked to the Chavez dictator.
Dictator Nicolás Maduro celebrated the government’s triumph. “Good victory and good harvest, fruit of persevering work”, he declared, surrounded by PSUV supporters after the results were announced.
One death was recorded in a shootout near a polling center in Zulia, but Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos said it was an isolated crime.
Polling sites opened at 6:00 am (5:00 am EDT) across Venezuela and were supposed to close at 6:00 pm local time, but the deadline was extended, prompting criticism from the opposition. Venezuelan law states that as long as there are voters in line to vote, polling centers must remain open.
The Portuguese MEP Isabel Santos, who headed the international mission of the European Union (EU) during the elections, said only that the election took place smoothly during voting time.
Maduro said the observers “behaved to the height”. The return of EU observers is, according to analysts, one of the dictator’s concessions to try to end the economic sanctions facing the country, which include a US oil embargo.
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