Maduro declared winner in Venezuela's presidential election as opposition claims irregularities

The sitting president has reportedly secured 51% of the vote, beating the main opposition candidate, Edmundo González by a significant margin.

Transcript

00:00Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been re-elected for a third term, taking around

00:0651.2% of the vote, according to the National Electoral Council.

00:14He beat opposition candidate Edmundo González, who received 44% of the vote.

00:20First, Nicolás Maduro Moro, from the Great Patriotic Pole, got 5,150,092 votes with 51.20%.

00:42The results were announced after 80% of the ballots have been counted, with an electoral

00:46participation level of 59%.

00:49That means the victory is irreversible, according to the electoral authority.

00:53The National Electoral Council did not immediately publish official counts, thereby preventing

00:57the opposition from challenging the results.

00:59However, the opposition has also claimed victory and refuses to recognise the results.

01:05The United States has also voiced concerns.

01:08We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of

01:16the Venezuelan people.

01:18It's critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials

01:23immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay.