Venezuela's Maduro faces political meltdown: Rivals claim election 'fraud' proof, police crackdown on protests

Protests have broken out across the country as both sides of the Venezuela presidential election claim victory, with opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claiming he has proof that he won. 

"The voice of the Venezuelan people has been clear through their votes, yet the morally bankrupt dictatorship remains deaf to their cries," Isaias Medina III, a former Venezuelan diplomat on the United Nations Security Council and Harvard fellow, told Fox News Digital. 

"The regime has not only defrauded the election results but has also begun persecuting the courageous leaders who ignited the flame of freedom," Medina said. "In a remarkable display of unity and defiance, spontaneous marches flood the streets, as citizens fervently plead for liberty and the chance to rebuild a nation where families can reunite in prosperity."

"The international community must amplify its pressure on this tyrannical regime and stand with the righteous people of Venezuela," Medina insisted. "Global leaders must unite in condemning these injustices and support Venezuela's quest for freedom and democracy."

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"The time has come for decisive action to ensure the voices of the oppressed are heard and the light of justice prevails again," he added. 

Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Monday claimed they had obtained over 70% of tally sheets to show the district by district results, which allegedly show that Gonzalez won double the votes over Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. 

The National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of Sunday’s vote despite allegedly leaked polling (which is illegal in Venezuela) showing overwhelming support for the opposition over Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Maduro first secured office in 2013, but many within and outside the country have alleged from the start that PSUV has effectively ruled as a dictatorship, leading to opposition parties boycotting the 2018 election before deciding to unite behind Gonzalez in the most recent contest. 

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The council said Maduro won 51% over the 44% for the opposition, leading to immediate condemnation from regional leaders. Argentinian President Javier Milei called the victory an "electoral scam" and Maduro a "fraud." Chilean President Gabriel Boric said the results were "hard to believe" and refused to recognize them. 

"The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency," Boric said following the election decision, according to Reuters.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa called Maduro’s government a dictatorship and said, "Today we are witnessing how one more of them tries to take home away from millions of Venezuelans." 

Venezuela has responded to the widespread criticism by cutting ties to countries that have asked for an independent recount of the election, including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Several Latin American countries plan to call for an emergency meeting of the regional bloc to discuss the issue, Semafor reported. 

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration has "serious concerns" about the results and insisted they do not "reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people." 

Panama went a step further and suspended diplomatic ties with Venezuela until an independent review of the election results and voting computers occurs, and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele argued that the "official result has no relation to reality." 

Venezuelans have not remained silent, taking to the streets to protest what they all believe to be a rigged election. The protests started peacefully, but riot gear-equipped police escalated the matter, leading to violence both from the protesters and police. 

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Protesters threw objects, including stones, at the police, while police used tear gas on the crowds in an effort to make them disperse. 

Maduro dismissed the pushback on his victory as an "attempt… to impose a coup d’etat in Venezuela," adding that "we already know this movie, and this time, there will be no kind of weakness," Maduro said, adding that Venezuela’s "law will be respected."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.