Maduro triumphs in Venezuelan election boycotted by opposition

Governing party celebrates big win as just 42 percent of voters take part in legislative and governors vote.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s governing party has swept parliamentary and regional elections that were boycotted by the opposition.

Preliminary results released by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday showed that the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 82.68 percent of votes cast the previous day for seats in the National Assembly.

That result ensures that the party will maintain control of key levers of power, including the attorney general’s office and the country’s top court, whose members are elected by the 285-seat assembly.

CNE also said that 23 out of 24 state governor positions were won by the government flagging a setback for the opposition, which previously controlled four states.

Turnout in the elections was 8.9 million or roughly 42 percent of 21 million voters eligible to cast their ballots. CNE chief Carlos Quintero noted that was the same figure as in the 2021 elections.