‘Help us, God’: Venezuela on the brink of civil war as left-wing allegedly rigs election results

Security forces in Venezuela clashed with protesters in Caracas on Monday evening, following a disputed presidential election result announced the previous day. The unrest saw thousands of demonstrators, many walking from impoverished areas surrounding the city, converge on the presidential palace to voice their discontent.

President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the election, asserting he had won a third term. However, opposition leaders have labeled the result as fraudulent, contending that their candidate, Edmundo González, won decisively with 73.2% of the vote. Opinion polls prior to the election had predicted a clear win for González.

The opposition has united behind González in an effort to unseat Maduro amid growing dissatisfaction over Venezuela’s ongoing economic crisis. International bodies, including the UN, have urged Venezuelan authorities to release detailed voting records from individual polling stations. Argentina has refused to recognize Maduro's victory, leading Venezuela to recall its diplomats from Buenos Aires. Additionally, Venezuela has suspended commercial flights to and from Panama and the Dominican Republic starting Wednesday.

In response to the protests, Caracas saw a significant deployment of military and police forces equipped with water cannons. Demonstrators chanted “Freedom, freedom!” and engaged in acts of civil disobedience, including burning tyres and tearing down Maduro's posters. Clashes occurred between security forces, including armed police and government-aligned paramilitaries, and protesters.

Many Venezuelans, including residents of the La Lucha neighborhood, expressed their frustration with the electoral process. Protester Paola Sarzalejo criticized the election as fraudulent and voiced concerns about the future for Venezuela’s youth. Her father, Miguel Sarzalejo, echoed these sentiments, lamenting the country’s economic decline and potential brain drain.

Cristobal Martinez, another protester, described the election as a “fraud” and highlighted the dire conditions faced by Venezuela's youth, including high unemployment and lack of educational opportunities.

Maduro has accused the opposition of attempting a coup by challenging the election results. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab warned that any unlawful acts during the protests would be met with severe legal consequences, reporting 32 detentions for various offenses related to the unrest.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, a left-wing to far-left socialist political party that has governed the country since 2007. The party was formed through the merger of various political and social groups supporting the Bolivarian Revolution initiated by President Hugo Chávez.

US officials have expressed concerns about the election results, stating that available data suggests discrepancies between the announced results and actual voting outcomes. The Organization of American States (OAS) has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to discuss the situation.

Compounding the controversy, the national electoral council (CNE) reported delays in vote counting due to an alleged "aggression" against the electoral data transmission system. CNE President Elvis Amoroso noted that 80% of ballots had been counted and described the voter turnout as 59%.

Despite the CNE's purported independence, the opposition alleges it acts as a governmental extension. Reports emerged of opposition observers being barred from polling stations, with the opposition holding copies of approximately 40% of voting records.

Earlier, Machado had appealed to the military to respect the true election outcome, emphasizing that the Venezuelan people had expressed their desire for change.

The election atmosphere was further strained by isolated incidents of violence. The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict reported armed groups of ruling party supporters intimidating voters in multiple states and Caracas, resulting in at least one fatality.

In a dramatic and emotional display, Venezuelan opposition voters have taken to the streets, kneeling and praying for divine intervention with the chants of 'Help us God' amid the ongoing election controversy.

Tesla founder Elon Musk on his social media also called Maduro a dictator and asked for a change

In the wake of the disputed election, Venezuela remains divided, with supporters on both sides awaiting the final outcome amid calls for peace and transparency.