CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, as his opponents prepared to contest the results in a tense showdown that will determine whether the South American country can break free from one-party rule.
Elvis Amoroso, head of the National Electoral Council, said Maduro won 51% of the vote, beating the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalezwho obtained 44%. He said the results were based on 80% of polling stations, marking an irreversible trend.
It came as opposition leaders were already celebrating online and outside some polling stations what they saw as a landslide victory for González. Their hopes were bolstered by alleged exit polls showing a healthy margin of victory for González. Exit polls are not allowed under Venezuelan law.
The delay in announcing the results, six hours after polls were due to close, signaled a deep debate within the government over how to proceed after Maduro’s opponents emerged early in the evening claiming all but certain victory.
The electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro supporters, has not yet released official vote results from all 30,000 polling stations, making it difficult for the opposition to verify the results.
Opposition officials said counts they collected from campaign representatives in 30% of polling stations showed Gonzalez had defeated Maduro.
Maduro, seeking a third term, faced his toughest challenge yet from the most unlikely opponent: Edmundo González, a retired diplomat who was unknown to voters before he was appointed in April as a last-minute replacement for the opposition leader. Maria Corina Machado.
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Associated Press editor Fabiola Sánchez contributed to this report.
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