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Jose Garcia

(3,131 posts)
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 09:28 PM Jul 2024

Exit polling in Venezuela shows opposition beating Maduro by wide margin

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Washington Post

CARACAS, Venezuela — The Venezuelan opposition was hopeful of an election victory Sunday that could bring an end to the authoritarian government of Nicolás Maduro and the socialist state that has controlled this crisis-stricken South American nation for a quarter-century.

Exit polling released after voting centers began to close Sunday evening showed opposition candidate Edmundo González taking 65 percent of the vote, more than doubling Maduro’s 31 percent, Edison Research reported. Venezuelans were waiting for official results.

The opposition, suffocated by Maduro’s autocratic rule and historically hobbled by infighting, sees its best chance in more than a decade to unseat the strongman, whom many here blame for this oil-rich country’s economic collapse and the exodus of millions of migrants, hundreds of thousands of them to the United States.

Maduro has barred the opposition’s chosen candidate, arrested campaign workers and blocked access to state media. Still, the opposition says it can win — and by a landslide. A high turnout could provide a significant boost; by 4 p.m., González’s campaign estimated that 11.7 million Venezuelans had voted, a participation rate of more than 54 percent.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/28/venezuela-election-maduro-gonzalez/



Fantastic news!
13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Polybius

(19,625 posts)
1. Fantastic news, but will it even matter?
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 09:31 PM
Jul 2024

I doubt Maduro will ever step down.

DavidDvorkin

(20,112 posts)
2. Let's hope that doesn't mysteriously change when the votes are counted
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 09:47 PM
Jul 2024

Or "counted". That's what happened in Belarus.

BSDemon

(43 posts)
8. Happened in Honduras in 2017
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 12:07 AM
Jul 2024

and automagically, after some shutdowns of the vote counting system, the official candidate, current president of that moment, that was ilegally seeking reelection there and Chump's ally btw, was winning by 5%.

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
3. This makes me very happy!
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 09:49 PM
Jul 2024

Polybius

(19,625 posts)
9. Me too, but I'm not sure why
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 12:45 AM
Jul 2024

He's not stepping down.

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
10. Perhaps he isn't but it certainly gives his opposition a ton of legitimacy. And I imagine other parts of the government
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 12:49 AM
Jul 2024

Will work to sway him out

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
12. Omg the government claims Maduro won 51-44??
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 09:15 AM
Jul 2024

Yeah exit polls aren’t going to be off by THAT much

hueymahl

(2,774 posts)
4. Here is hoping Venezuela is finally free
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 10:24 PM
Jul 2024

of that evil socialist dictator that has almost destroyed what once was a rich and beautiful country. Its people deserve a lot more freedom.

peppertree

(22,850 posts)
5. Another Biden accomplishment - for which the media will, I doubt very much, give him any credit
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 10:32 PM
Jul 2024

Unlike Cheetolino - who simply hired mercenaries to try to provoke a war with Venezuela (Operation Gideon) - Biden's people have been in regular contact with Maduro's people, to try to bring about an orderly transition.

And this was an indispensable step - one which few thought possible just a year or two ago (certainly not under Needy Amin!).

Initech

(104,400 posts)
6. This is great news! Fuck fascists!
Sun Jul 28, 2024, 11:44 PM
Jul 2024

Igel

(36,665 posts)
11. I don't think the DSA are "fascists."
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 09:00 AM
Jul 2024

Sometimes I doubt I understand what many mean when they say "democratic". I mean, The USSR was always striving to "deepen democracy" but I doubt most of us would consider Brezhnev or Lenin, much less Stalin, as "democratic" in any recognizable sense of the word. (I hated running in to 'demokratiya' and words like 'ob"yektivno' in Russian ... often still do.)

The DSA supported the Bolivarian Revolution since its early days, call for revoking US sanctions against Venezuela, and their leadership met in support with Maduro in Venezuela last year in solidarity with the Venezuelan people and democracy and Revolution. Count the DSA as a Maduro ally and take their non-endorsement of AOC as a feather in her cap.

Omaha Steve

(105,002 posts)
13. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING
Mon Jul 29, 2024, 10:07 AM
Jul 2024

Polls are analysis and not allowed in LBN.

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