Maduro’s ‘win’ spells despair for Venezuela

It was meant to be a crushing defeat ending 25 years of socialist rule, and the presidency of a man many see as largely responsible for Venezuela’s economic woes, a humanitarian crisis and rampant corruption. But for many Venezuelans, the only thing crushed following Sunday’s presidential election was hope.

A few hours after polls closed – and amid complaints of some observers monitoring the process being thrown out of polling stations or prevented from entering – the country’s National Electoral Council announced Nicolás Maduro as the winner with 51 per cent of the vote; in second place, candidate Edmundo González on 44 per cent. ‘The results are a triumph of peace and stability,’ Maduro jubilantly affirmed, teasing the opposition, who he said always cries ‘fraud.’

And cry fraud, they have. So too have some international leaders, such as those in Argentina and Peru, others expressing ‘concern’ at what appear to be dubious results.