Chavism consolidated its political control in Venezuela following the legislative and regional elections held on May 25, amidst notably low citizen participation and allegations of illegitimacy from the opposition.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the ruling coalition Great Patriotic Pole, led by the dictator Nicolás Maduro, received 82.6% of the votes and won 23 out of the 24 governorships at stake.
However, the electoral process was marked by significant abstention. The CNE itself, an entity controlled by Chavismo, reported a voter turnout of 42.6%, while the opposition platform Comando Con Venezuela estimated that abstention reached 87.4%.
María Corina Machado, opposition leader, promoted the electoral boycott as a form of protest against what she deems a fraudulent process, and celebrated the low turnout as an expression of civil disobedience.
Despite the call for a boycott, some opposition sectors decided to participate in the elections. Henrique Capriles, former presidential candidate, secured a seat in the National Assembly, while other opposition leaders, such as Juan Requesens, did not achieve significant results. Overall, the opposition forces that participated garnered about 14% of the votes, according to the CNE.
These elections took place in a context of increasing distrust towards the Venezuelan electoral system, especially after the controversial presidential elections in July 2024, in which Maduro carried out a coup and was "reelected" without the publication of the electoral records (which the opposition did publish), leading to protests and allegations of fraud, and causing several of its leaders to go into exile following a new wave of repression from the chavista regime.
Additionally, the electoral process included the election of authorities for the Esequibo region, a territory in dispute with Guyana, which has generated international tensions and has been viewed by analysts as a strategy by the government to strengthen its internal support base.
The international community and human rights organizations have expressed their concern about the lack of transparency and restrictions on the press during the electoral process, as well as the repression of political dissent in the country.
At the end of January, following the violent imposition of the fraudulent results by Maduro's regime, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition and right-hand woman of the president-elect in the elections of July 28, 2024, Edmundo González Urrutia, made an official statement from the elected government.
Under the title "Seven Principles for Freedom", the document established the fundamental guidelines to implement the sovereign mandate issued by the Venezuelan people and to guide the democratic transition in the country.
The fifth principle stated by the elected government was clear regarding the holding of new fraudulent electoral processes by the Chavista regime: "Elections to choose: Strong rejection of new electoral processes before respecting the results of 28-J".
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