(Al Jazeera) Nicolas Maduro, 61, has been declared the winner in Venezuela’s presidential election by the electoral authority, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will determine whether the South American nation transitions away from one-party rule.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, banned from running for office, said opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won 70 percent of the vote and urged the military to “respect the will of the people”.
Elvis Amoroso, head of the National Electoral Council, said Maduro secured 51 percent of the vote, overcoming Gonzalez who garnered 44 percent.
Goldwyn warns Venezuela elections may fall short of international standards
Venezuela has suffered an economic collapse over the past decade that has forced nearly one-third of its population to leave the country. Western sanctions have further damaged its oil industry. An opposition victory could have brought 25 years of socialist rule to an end.
