LIVE: Venezuela Elections

Venezuelans throughout the world are taking to polling stations in order to elect the nation's new president in the first presidential election since 2018. Incumbent Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela is facing off against Edmundo González, the presidential candidate for the Unitary Platform, a political alliance between a number of opposition parties in Venezuela with the sole intention to depose Maduro and restore Venezuela's democratic process..Accusations against President Maduro have already been levied since the original announcement of the election in March. These claims of political interference and suppression include mass arrests of opposition party members, disqualification of opposition candidates, and most recently, irregularities in the installation of polling stations..Venezuela stands on the precipice of change, with the choice to continue with the Chavista PSUV, or the democratic Unitary Platform. Regardless of who wins the election, reports of tampering, political violence, and other forms of political repression are sure to arise throughout election day..12:11am July 29 – President Nicolas Maduro has been named the victor in the 2024 presidential election by the CNE. .11:31pm – The National Electoral Council's website is back online..11:24pm – Yvan Gil, the Chancellor of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, releases a statement claiming members of the Lima Group consisting of politicians from "ultra-right countries" and "hitmen" have interfered with the election..11:20pm – Armed men reportedly begin seizing ballot boxes in Táchira..11:18pm – The National Electoral Council's website is inaccessible as anticipation for preliminary results rises..10:22pm – Venezuela's National Guard has reportedly began operations to take control of the La Matica sector of Los Teques, Miranda amid mobilization from the opposition and continued political violence..09:00pm – Clashes reportedly break out between Maduro supporters and opposition supporters at the Dr. Carlos Arvelo School in Yagua, Carabobo State. Shots can be heard in the background..08:42pm – First unconfirmed death reported in Tachira state during clashes between PSUV and opposition supporters. One civilian was shot in the neck after Chavistas attacked a voting center and reportedly died while en-route to the hospital..08:07pm – Diosdado Cabello, a PSUV representative in the National Assembly calls for PSUV supporters to take to the streets and polling stations in order to "defend the vote," according to Infobae.."Brothers and sisters, how are you? Look, right away, let's not think about it anymore, let's head to the streets, people to the polling centers, because they don't understand reasons, only popular mobilization," Cabello said in a statement. "So let's move, let's move. They don't understand the reason behind the people's vote, that the people voted overwhelmingly, that there will be results announced by the CNE that they know do not favor them, and they will try to generate violence. So let's implement the plan now, before, during, and after. Defense of the vote. Give a hug with Bolívar, with Chávez, with Maduro along with the people. We will overcome.".07:37pm – Opposition election witnesses reportedly still not allowed into the CNE..06:45pm – An exit poll conducted by Edison Research shows opposition victory with Edmundo González Urrutia winning 65 percent of the vote..05:52pm – Delsa Solórzano, a member of the Unitary Platform alliance, states her entry to the National Electoral Council (CNE) has been blocked by authorities despite holding valid credentials. Two other opposition members have also been blocked from entering the CNE according to the Associated Press..05:38pm – One voter in Cabimas claims the polling station at Santiago Mariño has lost electricity..05:22pm – Authorities remove a person believed to be the coordinator of the polling station in Acarigua, Portuguesa state from the site. The crowd can be seen throwing pojectiles including a plastic chair at police while some chase authorities from the polling station..04:33pm – Mass gathering of Venezuelans in Lima, Peru..04:17pm – Video of Venezuelan authorities reportedly blockading the polling station located in Acarigua, Portuguesa state after the fence was broken down has surfaced. Reports indicate the polling station has yet to open as of now..04:02pm – Mass gathering of Venezuelans in Brazil at the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba..03:41pm – A fake exit poll created by "Lewis and Thompson," an alleged analysis firm whose X account was created on July 19, 2024, while their website domain was registered on July 10, 2024, has begun circulating on social media. Numerous political figures have begun circulating the poll, including former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, Spanish political scientist Juan Carlos Monedaro, and former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, who later deleted his post on X..03:15pm – The governor of Lara, Adolfo Pereira, who belongs to the PSUV, was scorned by voters after leaving his local voting center..03:06pm – Maria Corina Machado, the former presidential candidate for the Unitary Platform prior to her disqualification, submits her ballot for "my children, for yours, for my imprisoned friends, for every Venezuelan who was prevented from voting today." Machado previously attempted to shake the hands of soldiers guarding the polling station but was rebuffed..01:40pm – Defense minister Vladimir Padrino stated that the armed forces are "institutionally ready to enforce the results" .01:40pm – People protest against not being able to vote.Videos show people shouting at security forces and destroying a fence in the city of Acarigua, Portuguesa state..01:00pm – A local journalists reports that supervised voting has been detected in 13% of votes.12:45pm – New York Times journalist Anatoly Kurmanaev reports half of voters in Perare, Fuente de Salvación, completed voting by midday, with poll workers claiming there is a "big swing to Gonzalez.".12:30pm – Reports of gunshots at a polling station in Monagas.Videos show the aftermath of gunshots allegedly fired by military forces. A woman waiting to cast her vote in the city of Maturín in the state of Monagas was reportedly wounded by one of the gunshots..12:00pm – Voters are reportedly barred from entering a polling station in Táchira.A video shows a large crowd of voters being prevented from entering a polling station in the municipality of Antonio Rómulo Costa, Táchira state. A woman is seen mocking them..10:30am – Opposition leader María Corina Machado drives by a cheering crowd of queuing voters to cast her vote in Eastern Caracas.08:00am – Venezuelans are protesting against delays in the voting process.Citizens in the municipality of San Joaquín, Carabobo state are protesting against delays in the voting process: polling stations are still not open, two hours after the scheduled start of the voting process..Other closed polling stations reportedly include the station in El Junquito, Caracas..06:30am – Maduro says he will respect the outcome of the elections and that he is the only persecuted candidate.After casting his vote, Maduro said "I recognize and will recognize the electoral referee, the official announcements and I will make sure they are recognized." He added that "the only persecuted candidate is called Nicolás Maduro Moros; internationally persecuted by world powers." Maduro cast his vote in the military complex of Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas at 06:00am..06:00am – Polls have officially opened.Venezuelans can now cast their votes. Polls will be open until 06:00pm, but it is unclear when the authorities will announce the result..05:00am, July 28 – Venezuelans are already lining up to vote.Despite the polling stations opening at 09:00 am local time, voters in the municipality of Rivas Dávila in the state of Mérida are queuing to vote. A video shows voters singing the Venezuelan national anthem..08:30pm, July 27 – Opposition leader reportedly kidnapped.The leader of the opposition party Vente Venezuela, Luis Alfredo Alvarado, was reportedly arrested by a coalition of national police, the National Guard (GNB), and the Military Counterintelligence Agency (DGCIM) in Dolores, Venezuela.