Venezuela to hold parliamentary elections
Venezuelan elections for the National Assembly are scheduled for today.
The opposition has controlled the Assembly since 2016 but is boycotting today’s elections, claiming likely fraud by President Nicolas Maduro and the ruling Socialist Party.
Given the boycott, the Assembly will fall into the hands of the ruling party. Both outgoing US President Donald Trump and incoming President-elect Joe Biden have signalled that they will continue to support Assembly President Juan Guaido as the rightful leader of Venezuela, a needed boost for the opposition as they face the loss of legislative control. The opposition will hold a referendum to signal their rejection of the elections, hoping for a higher turnout than in the actual elections.
Expect Maduro to exercise his total control of the government, cracking down on opposition forces and bringing his country into closer alignment with benefactors China and Russia. The US and other opposition allies will likely impose further sanctions as a response. There is a possibility of further fractionalisation of opposition forces, but continued US support for Guaido should hold them together. Many critics have dismissed the possibility of negotiations with Maduro, but this will likely be necessary in the long-term as Maduro continues to consolidate power and the opposition remains critically divided.
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