President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has won Venezuela’s presidential election, according to partial results published by the electoral council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Elvis Amoroso, who is a close ally of Mr Maduro, said that with 80% of votes counted, President Maduro had 51.20% of the vote, compared to 44.02% for his main rival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Venezuelan opposition has alleged widespread fraud in the counting of votes, and has vowed to challenge the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It had united behind candidate Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez in order to unseat Mr Maduro after 11 years in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to cheering supporters in Caracas, Mr Maduro said his re-election was a “triumph of peace and stability”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He praised the Venezuelan election system, describing it as transparent, and mocked the opposition, which he said “cries fraud” at every election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US Secretary of State expressed his scepticism after the result was announced. Antony Blinken said the Unites States had “serious concerns that the declared outcome does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Cuba, a close ally of Mr Maduro’s government, said that “the people spoke and the Revolution won”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opposition had deployed thousands of witnesses to polling stations across the country to be able to announce its own vote count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a spokeswoman for the coalition led by Mr Gonz\u00e1lez said that their witnesses had been “forced to leave” at many polling stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opposition had also called on supporters to keep a vigil at voting centres to verify the counting process in the “decisive hours” after closing, amid widespread fears the government would attempt to steal the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n