Venezuelan opponents say they need to rebuild after the loss of elections | Election Issues

About 42 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots on Sunday, sparking a landslide victory in Venezuelan opposition.

Venezuelan political opponents need to rethink and reconsider their course after a landslide victory weekend elections, leader Juan Guaido said, calling for unity between the group’s divided leadership.

Opposition groups called for a four-year election to run for mayor and gubernatorial on Sunday, but paid off for failing to cast a single vote against the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) of President Nicolas Maduro.

The contestants won in only three of the 23 states, while Maduro’s candidates won 18 seats, according to a statement from the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday.

The ruling Maduro party and allies were ready to take the last two countries, while the PSUV representative also took over the mayor’s office in the Caracas capital. The President on Sunday received the result of the vote as a “spectacular” victory that “should be celebrated”.

This was the first time in almost four years that the protesters had attacked he protested regional elections, which were reinforced among others by the availability of observers from the European Union (EU).

Election officials said Monday that 42.2 per cent of the 21 million registered voters in South America cast their ballots on Sunday, though they did not announce the final results.

Teresa Bo of Al Jazeera, who hails from Caracas, said the low turnout did not help the opposition.

“They expect improvements that will help them achieve their goal. However, things did not go as planned,” Bo said. “The biggest problem the opposition is facing here is that about 60 percent of the people did not vote … and the huge divisions that exist among the opposition.”

Experts said prior to the election for the opposition parties to participate and debate over whether they should represent the candidates to destroy his image.

Guaido, a former U.S. congressman who is recognized by the US and allies as Venezuela’s rightful leader, said Monday that the opposition should “rebuild” after the disappointing results.

“Today a new section is being opened,” he said, without elaborating. “Today is a time for reflection on our leadership … this is not a time for strife or arrogance among political leaders.”

Guaido also said Sunday’s incident highlighted the “obvious need for unity” among the opposition if they want to challenge the ruling party or Maduro in the 2024 presidential election.

Earlier Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the Maduro government for making “wrong decisions” that “disrupted the process” to announce its affiliated results, with allegations of harassment and banning of voters, voter registration, and scrutiny.

An initial report from EU election observers was due on Tuesday, but there were no reports of major disruptions.

Meanwhile, Maduro said Sunday that a return to negotiations in Mexico with Venezuelan opponents would not happen until the “theft” of a prominent government official. Alex Saba – recently extradited to the US on money laundering cases – has been answered.

Discussion, launched in August, seeks to find a solution to Venezuela’s economic and social problems.

Guaido said he hoped the government would return and was negotiating with its allies for more pressure on the Maduro government.