Venezuela’s Autocrat Declared Winner in Tainted Election

“Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner of the country’s tumultuous presidential election early Monday, despite enormous momentum from an opposition movement that had been convinced this was the year it would oust Mr. Maduro’s socialist-inspired party,” the New York Times reports.

“The vote was riddled with irregularities, and citizens were angrily protesting the government’s actions at voting centers even as the results were announced.”

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reacted to the result: “We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”