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STORY: Both sides of Venzuela's Sunday (July 28) election claimed victory in the early hours of Monday morning, in a vote that saw accusations of underhanded tactics and reports of isolated incidents of violence.

The country's electoral authority announced just after midnight that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote, despite multiple exit polls pointing to an opposition win.

Maduro then declared victory at the presidential palace in the capital Caracas.

The election authority said that with over 80% of ballot boxes counted, opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez won 44% of the vote.

They added that results had been delayed because of a QUOTE "aggression" against the electoral data transmission system.

Meanwhile opposition leader Maria Corina Machado claimed Gonzalez had won in a landslide with 70% of the vote.

Gonzalez, a 74-year-old ex-diplomat known for his calm demeanor, made no concessions to Maduro in later remarks.

But made clear that he was not calling for supporters to take to the streets or commit any acts of violence.

“Our message of reconciliation and peaceful change still stands. We are convinced most Venezuelans also desire this. Our struggle continues and we won’t rest until the will of the people of Venezuela is respected.”

The opposition alleges that the election authority, which is meant to be an independent body, acts as an arm of the government.

Their call for Maduro contradicts multiple exits polls, including one from Edison Research predicting that Gonzalez would win 65% of the vote, while Maduro would win 31%.

Another from Meganalisis predicted a 65% vote for Gonzalez and just under 14% for Maduro.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Tokyo, called for a detailed breakdown of votes:

"We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."

In his victory speech, Maduro railed against foreign interference.

“When Donald Trump denounced he had the election stolen, we didn’t meddle with that. We didn’t tell them to do this or do that, this is in their hands, an internal affair the United States will solve. So this is what I demand as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela – respect for the constitution, the public authorities, and the sovereign life of Venezuela.”

Machado, the opposition leader, also called on the country’s military on X to uphold the results of the vote...

:: "It is time to put yourselves on the right side of history. You have a chance and it's now." - Maria Corina Machado...

...saying QUOTE "It is time to put yourselves on the right side of history. You have a chance and it's now."

:: July 5, 2024

Venezuela's military has always supported Maduro, a 61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister.

There were no public signs that leaders of the armed forces were breaking from the government.