Venezuela: Maduro wins Venezuelan elections May 20 /update 9

Event

According to preliminary results released on Sunday, May 20, Nicolás Maduro of the PSUV (Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela) won the country's presidential elections with 67.7 percent of votes. The main opposition coalition MUD (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática) boycoted the vote, claiming free and fair elections are not possible under Maduro's increasingly authoritarian regime. Protests and outbreaks of violence are possible in the coming days. A heightened security presence is to be expected, with clashes and transportation disruptions possible, notably in the capital Caracas. 

Context

In the first half of 2017, Venezuela was shaken by four months of violent anti-government protests, coinciding with ongoing political, economic, social, and health crises. Significant unrest also broke out in 2014 following the last presidential elections and again in early 2016. All told, hundreds of people have been killed during protests - many by security forces who have repeatedly been accused of excessive use of force - with thousands more injured and arrested.

While the incidence of protests has fallen significantly in recent months, the potential for further large-scale protests and associated violence persists.

Advice

Individuals in Venezuela are advised to strictly avoid all protests and political events due to the high likelihood of violence and to keep abreast of the sociopolitical climate.