Maduro clinches victory in boycotted Venezuelan election

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro on Monday claimed a sweeping win in an internationally rejected congressional vote. Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela and its allies won 67 percent of the National Assembly seats in the Sunday election that saw only 31 percent of 20 million registered voters turn out. Senior opposition figures boycotted the poll, but opponents who still participated secured 18 percent of the vote.

How significant is the win for Maduro? It gives him control of the last major branch of government previously under the opposition’s control. Juan Guaidó, backed by the United States and several other nations as the legitimate Venezuelan leader, called the vote a “fraud.” The opposition boycotted the vote after the Supreme Court appointed a new election commission earlier this year. Guaidó’s opposition is staging a referendum this week asking Venezuelans if they want new presidential elections.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on local pastors’ work amid the political chaos in Venezuela.