“EWe are ready to defend until the last vote”, he told the press after voting in Caracas, stating that he was “convinced that the Armed Forces will guarantee that the people’s decision will be respected”.
Around 21 million Venezuelans will elect their president for the next six years today. Queues began forming outside many polling stations early this morning and the polls will remain open until at least 6pm local time (22:00 GMT), with the results expected during the evening. Given the high turnout, polling stations may, however, remain open for longer, as stipulated by law.
Experts believe that voter turnout is one of the keys to the election, with the opposition needing a high turnout to win.
“I recognize and will recognize the electoral referee, the official statements, and I will ensure that they are respected,” Maduro said today after voting in Caracas.
The opposition, however, has warned of the risk of fraud or manipulation of the election results.
Maduro described these elections as the culmination of a “permanent battle between good and evil (…), between those (…) who want violence and those who love Venezuela, who have weathered all the storms and want to continue moving forward in harmony.”
Much applauded at the polling station where he arrived late in the morning, Gonzalez Urrutia, in addition to expressing the opposition’s determination to “defend” this election “until the last vote”, stated that “the only important news is that millions of Venezuelans across the country are exercising their right to decide”.
Ten candidates are running, but the election will come down to a duel between Maduro, 61, and the discreet González Urrutia, 74, who replaced the charismatic opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in a short space of time when she was declared ineligible.
Polls have pointed to a landslide victory for the opposition, but some observers predict a tight race. The regime, for its part, is confident of victory. Most polls estimate that Maduro will win no more than 30 percent of the vote, while the opposition is expected to win between 50 and 70 percent.
One of the key post-election issues will be the attitude of the security apparatus. “The Bolivarian National Armed Forces support me,” Maduro assures; Gonzalez Urrutia says he is “convinced that the armed forces will ensure that the people’s decision is respected.”
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2606170/oposicao-determinada-a-defender-se-de-maduro-ate-ao-ultimo-voto
