Even Dictatorships Exceed 90%: Venezuelan Regime Claims Victory Despite 12% Voter Turnout [AK Radio]

Venezuelan Opposition Launches Boycott Movement
Maduro Administration Accused of Manipulating Last Year's Presidential Election

In the recent general election held in Venezuela, the voter turnout was a mere 12%, sparking controversy over the legitimacy of the election. Nevertheless, the Maduro administration, after receiving approval from the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council, announced an 80% victory. In response, protests by citizens opposed to the result are spreading nationwide.

In stark contrast to most authoritarian regimes, where voter turnout typically reaches 90% to 100%, Venezuela's 12% turnout is widely seen as undermining the legitimacy of the general election itself. Considering that the voter turnout in last year's presidential election in Venezuela was about 58%, this is an exceptionally low figure. The extremely low turnout was primarily due to a boycott strategy led by opposition leaders, who urged citizens not to go to the polls at all. As a result, only a portion of the population, mainly supporters of the Maduro administration, participated, leading to the dismal 12% turnout.

This opposition boycott movement began as a reaction to the Maduro administration's abuses during the presidential election in July of last year. At that time, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez ran as the unified opposition candidate and was projected to win with 65% of the vote according to exit polls, making his victory seem highly likely. Meanwhile, President Maduro was polling at 31%, with the outcome appearing already decided.

However, before the vote count was even completed, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council abruptly announced that President Maduro had won with 52% of the vote, while Gonzalez received 44%. This result was completely at odds with the exit polls, leading to protests across the country, but the Venezuelan government suppressed them by force.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court declared that there were no procedural issues with the presidential election and recognized President Maduro's victory, ultimately forcing Gonzalez to go into exile in Spain. In this context, opposition leaders concluded that even if an opposition candidate were to win, the victory would not be recognized. Therefore, they chose to boycott the vote altogether, aiming to demonstrate the extent of public disapproval toward the current government.

A polling station in Eldorado, Bolivar State, Venezuela, on the 25th (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The Venezuelan National Electoral Council was reportedly caught off guard by the unexpectedly low turnout and extended voting hours by one hour. However, as turnout remained low, they ultimately announced a final turnout of about 42%. Some analyses suggest that they initially intended to announce a 50% turnout but revised it to 42% due to the extremely low number of votes cast.

The reason Venezuela has become embroiled in allegations of electoral fraud is that the situation has changed significantly since the era of former President Hugo Chavez, who was the political mentor of the current President Maduro. Until Chavez's death in 2013, his approval ratings were so high that he was elected to four terms, and there were no allegations of electoral fraud. Before his death, Chavez designated Maduro as his successor and appealed to the public to support him, which helped Maduro win the presidency on the strength of Chavez's popularity.

The problem began with President Maduro's second-term election in 2018, when allegations of electoral fraud first surfaced. The opposition raised numerous suspicions, but the government completely ignored them. In 2019, when the opposition united to block the passage of the government budget, President Maduro unilaterally announced that he would implement the budget without parliamentary approval.

This provoked fierce resistance from the opposition, and then-Speaker Juan Guaido declared himself interim president. With support from the United States and Western countries, this effectively amounted to a coup, resulting in civil war. However, the opposition led by Guaido ultimately lost, forcing many of its leaders into exile in the United States and Spain, after which the Maduro administration began to rule with an iron fist.

Currently, the Venezuelan National Assembly has been stripped of virtually all its powers. Its impeachment authority has been abolished, and the law has been amended to allow the president to exercise unlimited veto power over the assembly. In addition, a new Constituent Assembly was established, but it is composed entirely of pro-government figures. President Maduro also appointed all 20 Supreme Court justices with his own loyalists, resulting in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches all being controlled by a single faction.

With no remaining checks and balances, even the elections have become tainted by fraud. The National Electoral Council has recently disqualified opposition candidates from running in regions where they are likely to receive many votes, citing sudden eligibility issues. The United States and Western countries have analyzed that Venezuela's political situation is regressing even further than China or Russia, and that democracy is under threat.

On the 25th (local time), Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, visited a polling station in the capital Caracas to cast his vote in the general election and showed his ID to reporters. Photo by AP

A major factor behind Venezuela's current situation is its severe economic crisis. During the Chavez administration, Venezuela was considered one of the wealthier countries in South America. As recently as 2012, its per capita GDP was about $12,000, a relatively high figure for the region. However, last year, it plummeted to around $3,600, a quarter of its previous level.

Even more alarming is the inflation rate, which reached an almost unimaginable 65,000% last year. The economic crisis has devastated livelihoods and pushed the economy to the brink of collapse. Multiple factors have contributed to this deepening crisis. Ongoing political instability has led the United States and Western countries to prolong economic sanctions under the pretext of Venezuela's democratic collapse, further exacerbating the economic hardship. Although Venezuela maintained an anti-U.S. stance during the Chavez era, the economy did not suffer as much because oil exports remained robust.

However, starting in 2014, as shale oil production surged in the United States, oil prices across the Americas dropped sharply, leading to a severe economic crisis. In effect, the economy began to falter significantly after the death of former President Chavez. Under the Maduro administration, civil war and escalating political instability were compounded by the outbreak of COVID-19, prompting most foreign companies to leave Venezuela. Many members of the middle and upper classes also emigrated to Spain or other countries.

According to Venezuelan population statistics, the population was about 30 million until 2013, but last year it had dropped to around 28 million, a decrease of nearly 2 million people. This is attributed to many citizens fleeing abroad to escape economic hardship and political turmoil. Despite failed economic policies and military control, the Maduro administration continues to focus on social welfare programs rather than economic reform. The government has concentrated on distribution policies, such as raising the minimum wage and introducing new welfare payments, but critics point out that these are little more than symbolic legislation given the lack of financial resources.

Of particular note is that President Maduro has handed over control of essential goods pricing to the military in order to prevent a military coup. The military now controls everything from ports to distribution channels and monopolizes food and medical supplies. Although the official rationale was to prevent private companies from raising prices, critics argue that the military has instead sold all these goods on the black market, causing the distribution sector to all but collapse.

For now, the situation in Venezuela remains under control through the military, but there are growing concerns about whether the government could withstand a large-scale coup if the military turns against it or if public discontent erupts into mass revolt. Some fear that this could destabilize the entire Central and South American region. Since the military is inevitably influenced by public sentiment, and considering Venezuela's history, there are growing predictions that the country is likely to experience serious social upheaval in the future.