Opponents Call for New Vote as Maduro Wins Venezuelan Presidential Election Latin American Herald Tribune May 21, 2018
CARACAS - Nicolas Maduro was re-elected as Venezuelan president on Sunday for the 2019-2025 term in a poll marked by a record low voter turnout, while other candidates demanded new elections due to numerous irregularities.
Of more than 20 million eligible to vote, only 8.6 million participated - one of the lowest turnouts in the country's history.
Maduro obtained 5,823,728 votes, while his main rival, the former governor Henri Falcon, came in the second place with 1,820,552 votes.
In the third and fourth places were the evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci, with 925,042 votes, and Reinaldo Quijada, with 34,614 votes, respectively.
Considering the elections fraudulent, the opposition coalitions Democratic Unity Roundtable and Frente Amplio boycotted them and called for voters to abstain.
The re-elected president invited the three candidates and other opposition leaders to engage in dialogue to tackle the country's crisis.
"To Henri Falcon, to Javier Bertucci (...) to all the leaders of the opposition, let's have a meeting. Let's meet and talk about Venezuela," Maduro said at the Miraflores Palace, in front of hundreds of supporters.
Maduro condemned Falcon, who decided not to recognize the electoral process and demanded that new elections be held.
"Never in my life have I seen a candidate who does not recognize the result that has not even been announced. It seems there is no honor," he said.
Before the end of polling day, both Falcon and Bertucci said that throughout the day there were more than 1,000 violations of the electoral law committed by the pro-government groups, such as vote buying and assisted voting.
"We do not recognize this electoral process as valid," Falcon said and called for a new election in October.
"For us, there were no elections. We have to hold new elections in Venezuela," he added.
Bertucci described Maduro's strategy as "opportunism" as the recently re-elected president used "state resources" to offer social aid to voters.
The president of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, Tibisay Lucena, announced the results after a brief speech in which she asked "everyone," both "national and international," to " to respect the electoral results, to respect the people of Venezuela who voted peacefully."
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US Vice President Pence Labels Venezuela Election a "Sham" Latin American Herald Tribune May 21, 2018
By Mike Pence Vice President
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Venezuela’s election was a sham – neither free nor fair. The illegitimate result of this fake process is a further blow to the proud democratic tradition of Venezuela. Every day, thousands of Venezuelans flee brutal oppression and grinding poverty – literally voting with their feet. The United States will not sit idly by as Venezuela crumbles and the misery of their brave people continues. America stands against dictatorship and with the people of Venezuela. The Maduro regime must allow humanitarian aid into Venezuela and must allow its people to be heard.
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