Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announced that the ruling United Socialist Party, led by President Nicolás Maduro, secured a sweeping victory in Sunday’s parliamentary and regional elections. The party garnered 82.6% of the vote in the national lists for the National Assembly and won 23 out of the country’s 24 governorships, according to official results.

Voter turnout stood at 42.6%, reflecting a low level of participation amid calls for a boycott by opposition forces who deemed the election process illegitimate. Opposition leader María Corina Machado described the boycott as an act of “civil disobedience” against the government.

The election results have sparked significant controversy, with opposition figures accusing the government of electoral manipulation. Tensions were already high following the disputed presidential elections of July 2024, the official results of which were never fully disclosed. In the last 48 hours alone, authorities reportedly arrested 70 individuals on charges related to anti-government activities.

This latest vote further consolidates President Maduro’s political control, while raising concerns among critics about the integrity of Venezuela’s democratic processes.