Following Venezuela’s recent election, President Nicolás Maduro has accused his opposition and foreign entities of attempting to undermine his declared victory, with the backing of “international Zionism.”
According to The Washington Post, Venezuela’s opposition has published election results that suggest Maduro lost his bid for another term by a significant margin. These unofficial figures, based on more than 23,000 precinct-level tally sheets representing nearly 80% of voting machines nationwide, suggest that opposition candidate Edmundo González likely received more than twice as many votes as Maduro. This conclusion aligns with independent exit polling and similar analyses conducted by other organizations.
Nevertheless, Venezuela’s national electoral council declared Maduro the winner with nearly 52% of the vote compared to González’s 43%. However, the council has yet to release precinct-level results to support this claim, a requirement under Venezuelan law.
The country’s election has been followed by widespread protests and growing international condemnation. Many governments and international organizations have criticized the vote as fraudulent.
At a press conference on Saturday, Maduro blamed what he termed the “extremist right” for the unrest that has swept the country. He accused these groups of being “supported by international Zionism.” He alleged that Jews were manipulating social networks, media outlets and even satellite technology in an attempt to “steal the presidential election” from his socialist government, according to The Sun.
As the political crisis deepens, international pressure is mounting on Maduro to negotiate a peaceful resolution. The United States has rejected Maduro’s claim of victory, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that it is “clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes” in the election.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
