Monday 28 / April / 2025
Polls open on Sunday in Venezuela's parliamentary elections, in a vote that is expected to deliver President Nicolas Maduro control over the country's legislature, the National Assembly (AN), and fully consolidate his regime's grip on power in the country.
International observers like the EU and the Organization of American States (OAS) refused to send observers to Sunday's election and said the conditions for a democratic process in Venezuela do not currently exist.
The country's opposition, led by the current AN president and Maduro foe Juan Guaido, has boycotted the vote, saying it represents "a fraud."
The White House National Security Council also called Sunday's vote fraudulent. "This election only serves to keep Maduro in power and does nothing to build a better future for the people of Venezuela," the council tweeted.
Despite US President Donald Trump's campaign of strict sanctions and high diplomatic pressure, Maduro has remained in power, backed by the country's military and supported by Russia, Cuba, China and Iran.
Deep and lingering economic woes
More than 20 million Venezuelans will be eligible to vote in the country that has been beset by deep political and economic crises.
The election comes amid a global pandemic, chronic shortages of gas, basic food and medical supplies, and as 5 million Venezuelans have fled the country in a wave of migration second in size only to that of war-torn Syria.
The International Monetary Fund has projected a 25% decline this year in Venezuela's GDP, while hyperinflation has consumed its currency, the bolivar.
Still, enthusiasm for the election appears low, with pollster Datanalisis predicting that only about 34% of Venezuelans would turn out to vote.
A five-year struggle for the legislature
Sunday's vote could bring a power struggle between the opposition and Venezuela's ruling party (PSUV) to an end. The AN was the last source of power for the opposition, in a country where all institutions are controlled or influenced by Maduro.
The opposition gained control over the AN in 2015, when it won by a landslide. But the triumph was short-lived, as pro-government courts stripped the legislature of power and allowed for the creation of a parallel and all-powerful legislative body known as the National Constituent Assembly (ANC).
An election that was seen as compromised filled the ANC with PSUV and Maduro loyalists. This set the stage for the ongoing power struggle between Guaido and Maduro, after Guaido declared himself acting president of Venezuela in 2019, a decision he based on constitutional powers granted to him as chief of the AN.
Opposition in crisis
Despite having obtained the backing of the United States and more than 50 other nations around the world, Guaido's interim presidency and parallel government have not been successful at dislodging Maduro from power or persuading the army to switch sides.
After several high-profile pushes for mass mobilization and a failed coup attempt, cracks began to show and Guaido's government found itself entrenched in a corruption scandal.
Ultimately, the Maduro-controlled Supreme Court suspended the leadership of three of Venezuela's opposition parties and appointed new leaders, who were accused of conspiring to support Maduro.
The opposition further fractured over Sunday's election, as a small faction has pledged to participate in the vote.
Guaido has planned a week-long plebiscite, starting this Monday, to rebuke the new congress and seeking public support to prolong the mandate of the current AN under his leadership until "free, verifiable and transparent" elections can be held.
But the results of his planned referendum will not be binding and once a new AN is seated, the opposition and Guaido are expected to lose the last institution they control, further diminishing their power.
