2024-07-29 23:30:03
CHICAGO (WLS) — Venezuela’s electoral authorities have declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner in Sunday’s presidential election, but the opposition is also claiming victory in the race.
It’s setting up a showdown as foreign leaders hold off on recognizing the results.
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Meanwhile Venezuelans here in Chicago are watching closely.
Sunday, the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance rallied to bring attention to the crucial election.
They’re in support of opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez hoping he will unseat Maduro who has been in power for 12 years.
They say the outcome could determine if people stay or decide to leave their homeland to come to the United States.
Millions of Venezuelans have left in search of opportunities abroad and have come to the us which has had a big impact on the migrant crisis.
“Many of them have not been able to find a better life,” demonstrator Ana Serafin said. “As a matter of fact, many of them have died trying to find a better life, so today, we really want these elections to happen in the most pacific way possible, the most democratic way possible for us to find the freedom that Venezuela deserves.”
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Sunday night there were several car caravans in the Loop and a huge celebration at Grand and Kedzie avenues as exit polling showed President Maduro on the verge of losing.
But that changed in the hours ahead as Maduro was eventually declared the winner.
Gonzalez now saying all election rules were violated as the opposition questions the voting tallies.
Meanwhile, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin posting on x last night that the regime must respect the people’s votes and not steal another election.
Shortly after midnight, the National Electoral Council said Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming the main opposition candidate, Edmundo González, who garnered 44%.
But the electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, didn’t immediately release the tallies from each of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, hampering the opposition’s ability to challenge the results after claiming it had data for only 30% of the ballot boxes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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