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**Maduro’s Coalition Sweeps Venezuelan Elections Amidst Opposition Boycott and Controversy**

**CARACAS, Venezuela** – Venezuela’s ruling coalition, led by President Nicolas Maduro, has secured a resounding victory in parliamentary and regional elections held Sunday, granting them near-total control over the nation’s democratic institutions. The elections, however, were marred by a widespread boycott from opposition parties who denounced the results of the July 2024 presidential vote and deemed these elections a “farce.”

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won over 82% of the votes for the National Assembly and secured 23 out of 24 state governorships. While Maduro hailed the results as a victory for “peace and stability,” opposition leaders like Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo Gonzalez (who is recognised by the United States and several other countries as the winner of the July 2024 presidential election) and others decried the elections as fraudulent, citing low voter turnout and a lack of fair conditions. Turnout was reported to be around 42% of eligible voters.

The elections also included the creation of a new governorship and representation for Essequibo, an oil-rich region disputed with neighboring Guyana. Guyana has administered the region for decades, but Caracas has threatened to partially annex it – a threat that Maduro repeated on Sunday. The Guyanese government, before the vote, warned that participating in Venezuela’s election could amount to treason.

The outcome is a significant boost for Maduro, further consolidating his power at a time when the country faces economic hardship and international scrutiny. The victory comes despite declining economic conditions in Venezuela and recent actions from the US, including the revocation of Chevron’s license to pump Venezuelan crude and the resumption of deportations of Venezuelan immigrants.

Analysts have raised concerns about the fairness of the elections, citing the lack of international observers and a divided opposition struggling to mount a unified challenge against Maduro. The elections are expected to further demoralize the opposition, already weakened by internal divisions and the recent resignation of a key leader.

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