The ruling ZANU-PF party has congratulated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on his re-election in the country’s presidential vote held on 28 July 2024.
According to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), with 96.87% of the ballots counted, Maduro secured 51.95% of the votes, defeating opposition candidate Edmundo González who received 43.18% of the votes.
In a statement issued on 2 August 2024, ZANU-PF Secretary-General Obert Moses Mpofu expressed the party’s “resolute” support for Maduro and his PSUV party. Said Maduro:
On behalf of the revolutionary Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) party, I present our heartfelt congratulations to our brother Cde Nicolas Maduro and the people of Venezuela on his re-election as President of Venezuela.
Cde Maduro worked hard for Venezuela’s development and uplifted communities out of poverty.
economicZANU PF stands resolute in support of PSUV under the leadership of President Maduro. We wish our brothers and sisters of Venezuela peace and harmony as they continue to defend their country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
We strongly stand with President Maduro as the leader of a country which holds the world’s largest proven crude reserves and the world’s highest exporter of oil for the benefit of the people of Venezuela.
As ZANU PF we re-iterate our support for PSUV under the able leadership of President Nicholas Maduro and wish him well during his third term going forward.
ZANU-PF’s endorsement of Maduro’s electoral victory comes amid concerns from international observers about the fairness and transparency of the vote.
The United States of America said “it is clear” that President Nicolas Maduro lost the popular vote in Venezuela’s election. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:
Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.
In addition, the United States rejects Maduro’s unsubstantiated allegations against opposition leaders.
Maduro and his representatives’ threats to arrest opposition leaders, including Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, are an undemocratic attempt to repress political participation and retain power.
As reported by CNN, on Tuesday after the vote, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, who is a member of Maduro’s inner circle, called for the arrest of both Machado and Gonzalez.
However, the country’s Public Ministry later clarified that no arrest warrant had been issued for either opposition figure.
This comes after protests broke out across Venezuela earlier this week after the CNE announced Maduro as the winner.
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