Nicolas Maduro Wins Election In Venezuela

A couple of posts ago we wrote about the lead up to the election, and the tension felt between Nicolas Maduro and Henrique Capriles:

https://digestiblepolitics.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/venezuela-vote-to-elect-president/

The president of Venezuela has now been confirmed as Maduro after a close election battle. Protests by Capriles, and his party, were made but the National Electoral Council continued to defend Maduro’s narrow victory of 50.7%:49.1%.

Conflict broke out in the capital, Caracas, between protester and police declaring that the votes had been miscounted. Some students took to the streets to show their discontent, whilst others took to balconies and the streets hitting pots and pans in protest. The protests had been expected as Capriles had urged people to protest the results if Maduro won.

However, thousands of supporters also took to the street in support of Maduro’s win. Singing and dancing was seen and horns were heard. Maduro told his supporters that the result was “just, legal and constitutional” and that he looks forward to leading the country.

Here are some challenges currently Venezuela face:

• Internal divisions: Society is deeply divided into those who see Chavez’s “Bolivarian revolution” as the solution to their problems and those who think it has been the country’s ruin.
• Shortages: Everyday goods in short supply and power cuts common
• Inflation: 25% inflation is threatening to stop all increases in the minimum wage.
• Crime: One of the highest homicide and kidnapping rates and few crimes are  punished.
• Prisons: Overcrowding and poor conditions have caused a series of deadly prison riots. Many of those in jail have been awaiting trial for years.
• Relations with the US: Have been tense over the past decades as President Chavez engaged in anti-US rhetoric.

Thanks for reading,

Digestible Politics

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