A power struggle in Venezuela is leading to deadly violence on the streets as two parties are both claiming victory in a Presidential election held on Monday. Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition candidate claim they won the election.
Deaths and Arrests
Sixteen people have died, and 750 more have been arrested as political violence breaks out on the streets of Venezuela over contested election results.
Election Officials’ Announcement
On Monday, election officials declared Maduro the winner, claiming he easily bested Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat.
Election Results
The state officials claim Maduro won with a wide berth of seven percentage points, with Maduro receiving 51 percent to Gonzalez’s 44 percent. The competition raised suspicions when the quoted results did not match the quick counts and unofficial polling figures.
Lack of Transparency
Venezuelan officials still need to publish precinct-level vote count results, which has caused many, including the United States, to raise doubts about the legitimacy and integrity of the outcome.
Opposition’s Claim
The opposition claimed their candidate, Gonzalez, won by a wide margin.
International Relations
The Venezuelan government has retaliated against neighboring nations Panama and the Dominican Republic, which called into question the stated official results. Venezuela’s foreign minister announced that the state would bar diplomatic missions from seven Central and South American countries questioning its election results.
Calls for Protests
Both candidates’ parties called on their supporters to protest in the streets on Monday and Tuesday, prompting political violence.
Opposition Protest
On Tuesday, hundreds of protestors supporting Gonzales gathered outside the United Nations office in Caracas, Venezuela, to protest the state’s announcement of the results. One of Gonzales’s supporters, Robert Castellanos, said of the protestors, “We are united. This has been the biggest fraud in the history of Latin America.”
Pro-Government Rally
On Maduro’s side, Jorge Rodriguez, the president’s campaign manager, asked supporters to march on Tuesday from government landmarks to the presidential palace in Miraflores.
Rodriguez said, “We are going to Miraflores to defend our right to life, our right to freedom, and, above all, our right to choose and to defend the result of the election.” The representation for Maduro’s campaign was modest on Tuesday during the planned pro-government demonstration.
Human Rights Report
Human rights organization Foro Penal said that at least 11 individuals had died in the street protests throughout Venezuela. At least four more were shot.
Paramilitary Involvement
Colectivos, or paramilitary groups, defend the state by driving around in bands of armed men on motorcycles. Opposition candidate Gonzales has called on colectivos, law enforcement, and police to respect the constitution.
Opposition Leader’s Statement
Gonzales said in a video posted to Instagram, “Unfortunately, in the past hours, we’ve received reports of people killed, dozens of them injured and detained. To the security forces and armed forces, we insist that you respect the will Venezuelans expressed on the 28th of July and stop the repression of peaceful protests.”
Government’s Response
Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced Tuesday that 749 people were arrested for terrorism and incitement to hatred. He said, “We have had a kind of unrest, a country in flames.” He also described the unrest as seeds of “civil war.” On the government side, a soldier died from a gunshot wound in the neck, and nearly 50 other law enforcement officers and soldiers were injured.
Vandalism
According to government officials, hundreds of voting machines, election offices, and centers were vandalized.
