President secures new term in an election marred by claims of vote rigging
Nicolas Maduro. Pic/AFP
Embattled socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro won Venezuela's presidential election by a landslide in a disputed vote marred by irregularities and mass absenteeism that led his main rivals to call for a re-run to prevent a national social crisis from exploding.
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The National Election Council announced that with more than 92 per cent of polling stations reporting, Maduro won nearly 68 per cent of the votes on Sunday, beating his nearest challenger Henri Falcon by more than 40 points. Falcon accused the government of buying votes and dirty tricks to boost turnout among poor voters most hurt by widespread food shortages and hyperinflation in what was once Latin America's wealthiest nation.
The election "without any doubt lacks legitimacy and we categorically refuse to recognize this process," Falcon told supporters minutes before the results were announced, vowing to fight on instead of joining a growing list of beleaguered anti-government politicians who've fled into exile of late.
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