On Labor Day, Sept. 2, breaking news came out of Florida. The United States was able to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s plane in the Dominican Republic. Although the South American authoritarian was not on board the plane, this event will only increase tensions in what is an already dire situation in Venezuela that has been stretching on for more than a decade.
Nicolas Maduro has been president of Venezuela since 2013. He was the handpicked successor of Hugo Chavez, who was previously popular among citizens due to his social welfare programs, but lost supporters due to state corruption and a suddenly declining economy. Things have only gotten worse under Maduro as inflation skyrocketed, making basic commodities too expensive for the Venezuelan people to buy.
Serious concerns of Maduro’s legitimacy have also been raised. In 2019, the Organization of American States (OAS) ruled that the Venezuelan elections of that year were illegitimate and called for new elections in order to respect the people’s vote. However, Maduro refused to give up his power.
This past month, the Venezuelan 2024 elections took place, with the opposition (those against Maduro) urging the people to vote. Exit polls had the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez winning with 60% of the vote, but the National Electoral Council (NEC) announced that Maduro had won with a small majority, automatically putting into question the legitimacy to the results.
The OAS condemned the lack of transparency and organizations such as the Carter Center – a nongovernmental organization that strives to improve life internationally through studies, advancing democracy, and protecting human rights – said that the elections could not “be considered democratic.” The US has echoed these sentiments, and although international pressure has increased overall, it does not seem likely that Maduro will step down by himself.
The opposition have stood clear on their belief that Edmundo González won the presidential election, citing the exit polls and the ballots that they’ve received, although the Maduro government has rejected their numbers. This is a situation that will only get uglier as both sides dig their heels in.
The eyes of South America are now on Venezuela and if the people’s choice will be respected.
