Venezuelans Reflect on Year Since Opposition’s Election Victory

CARACAS, Venezuela — One year ago, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia claimed a landslide victory in Venezuela’s presidential election, defeating President Nicolas Maduro by over 40 percentage points, according to voting receipts independently collected from more than 80 percent of precincts.

Gonzalez secured a majority of votes in every state and in traditionally Chavista strongholds, reflecting widespread public disappointment with the ruling party, which has governed since the late 1990s. Voters expressed their anger over years of corruption, mismanagement, and economic decline.

Despite this clear mandate, Maduro continues to hold power. Shortly after polls closed, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) declared fraudulent results, claiming a narrow victory for Maduro. The CNE did not publish precinct-level voter data, which would have supported the evidence of Gonzalez’s win.

The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the Chavista military rallied around Maduro, dismissing international criticism and attempts by opposition supporters to expose the electoral fraud.

In January 2025, Maduro was reinstalled as president in a brief ceremony attended by a few allies. Following the election, Gonzalez fled to Spain and remains in exile. Maria Corina Machado, a key opposition figure who endorsed Gonzalez, is now in hiding as detentions and threats have severely affected the opposition’s ability to organize.

The mood in Venezuela has shifted to one of disillusionment, with citizens questioning the possibility of change despite the overwhelming support for Gonzalez in the election.