- Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro has won the Venezuelan election
- He defeated the opposition election alliance by 51% to 44%
- International observers of Venezuela expected the election to be much closer
Venezuela’s election on Sunday was yet another victim of polling ‘tunnel-vision’, as President Nicolás Maduro sealed victory despite most polls suggesting he would lose. It would seem that polling as of late has focused too closely on a deceptive media bubble – creating misleading expectations of public perception.
The national election council confirmed on Monday that Maduro won 51% of votes, overcoming the 44% share the opposition gained. Regional partners such as Cuban and Honduran presidents Miguel Diaz-Canel and Xiomara Castro have all congratulated Maduro. Recognition also came from the Chinese government, which sees Maduro as a key partner, particularly when it comes to energy.
It is clear that predictions of an easy opposition victory originated from the press and influencers who form a highly visible part of the public iceberg.
This global phenomenon, not unique to Venezuela, is highly visible this election year as disgruntled candidates refuse to concede and instead choose to incite public fervour – a tactic popularised in the 2020 US elections. Sunday’s election proceedings were carried out under international supervision, not least by the UN and Carter Center.
Polling misrepresentation recently appeared in the two-part French legislative elections which saw the Rassemblement Nationale (RN) led by Marine Le Pen predicted to win over 250 seats. When results day came, the party fell short of expectations by over 100 seats, giving many the idea the election was stolen from them by nefarious forces.
Evidently the Venezuelan election was the epicentre of divisive commentary. Indeed, the socialist leader shared with the crowds after his victory that opponents launched, “A cyberattack on the infrastructure of the electoral system – they didn’t want the votes to be added up and the final results to be announced today.”
Maduro’s attention will now turn to improving Venezuela’s economic position, which has been gravely undermined by sanctions over the past eight years. The Centre for Economic Policy and Research attributes 40,000 deaths to the aggressive US sanctions that impacted access to food and medicine.
The Venezuelan government has engaged extensively in diplomatic proceedings aimed at reducing these sanctions, as well as diversifying export markets to help economic prosperity. The Venezuelan people seem to have returned him for another six years to continue his efforts to end the country’s economic isolation.
Moreover, Maduro’s victory in Sunday’s election is a blow to the commentators that promised a strong result for the opposition based on social media sentiment, rather than following the facts of the matter.