Landslide win for the wives of dissenting imprisoned mayors By ALEJANDRA M. HERNÁNDEZ F. EL UNIVERSAL May 26, 2014
Rosa de Scarano won 33,910 votes (87.74% of the ballots cast). She won the San Diego Municipality Mayoralty (in central Carabobo state) over pro-government candidate Alexis Abreu (4,473 votes, 11.57%). Meanwhile, Patricia Gutiérrez de Ceballos totaled 88,991 ballots (73.60%) and became the new mayor of San Cristóbal Municipality (southwestern Táchira state) over pro-government candidate Alejandro Méndez (30,887 ballots, 25.54%)
The wives of Daniel Ceballos and Enzo Scarano, the deposed and imprisoned mayors of the municipalities of San Cristóbal (southwester Táchira state) and San Diego (north central Carabobo state) respectively recorded a landslide victory in the vote held on Sunday in both towns. Additionally, both women surpassed the number of ballots their husbands had recorded when elected, back on December 8, 2013.
Patricia Gutiérrez de Ceballos, the candidate of the opposition alliance Unified Democratic Panel (MUD) became the new mayor of San Cristóbal Municipality with 88,991 ballots (73.60%), as reported by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Gutiérrez de Ceballos defeated the candidate of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Alejandro Méndez (30,887 ballots, 25.54%).
Turnout on Sunday (59.1%) was similar to that recorded in the election held on December 8, 2013 (60.53%). However, Gutiérrez de Ceballos won more ballots than her own husband, who gained 82,794 votes (67.67%), which is 5.9 percentage points higher.
In San Diego municipality (north central Carabobo state), Rosa de Scarano, the candidate of the MUD, won the vote with 87,74% of the ballots cast (33,910 votes), according to the CNE. Her opponent, Alexis Abreu, the candidate of the PSUV, won only 11,77% of the ballots (4,473 votes). Turnout stood at 64,62%.
Rosa de Scarano also surpassed the number of votes her husband had obtained in December last year (75.24%) by 12.5 percentage points.
Some hours before the results were disclosed, opposition leader Henrique Capriles forecast that President Nicolás Maduro and his government would be "crushed."
The national coordinator of the PSUV, Jorge Rodríguez, acknowledged the results unveiled by the CNE in both municipalities and congratulated the mayors-elect.
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