On July 28, Venezuela is holding presidential elections, which have already been called the biggest challenge for the ruling socialist party PSUV since it came to power 25 years ago. This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.
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It is noted that incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, who has led the country since 2013, is running for a third consecutive term.
His main rival is 74-year-old Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat who has the support of a coalition of opposition parties.
Polls show that Gonzalez has a significant advantage over Maduro. At the same time, there are fears that the results of this election could be rigged if they do not go in Maduro's favor. They are reinforced by Maduro's statements that he will win "by hook or by crook.
In addition, the country has a very limited number of election observers - four from the UN and a small technical team from the Carter Center. The invitation to EU observers was withdrawn by the head of the CEC, who is close to the current president. Observers from Brazil canceled their presence after criticizing Maduro,
To compensate for the absence of international observers, the opposition mobilized thousands of people to observe the process at individual polling stations.
Many of Maduro's critics believe that this election is the first in the last ten years in which the opposition has united around one candidate and is not boycotting the vote, and may be their best chance to remove him from power.
One of the opposition's promises is that if it wins, it will bring the country back to life so that millions of Venezuelans who fled the political and economic crisis that gripped the country during Maduro's rule can return.
The voting is electronic, and the CEC is expected to announce the results in the evening. The winner of the election will be sworn in on January 10, 2025.
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