Unexpected Shift in Support During Venezuela’s Presidential Election

A Surprising Turn in Venezuela’s Presidential Election

For the Venezuelan government, everything seemed to be falling into place. Francisco Torrealba, a senior official from the ruling party, recounted the atmosphere in the electoral command center located in the heart of Caracas on Election Day last month. As the presidential vote drew to a close, he observed the computer monitors with a growing sense of confidence. The data clearly indicated that a vital support base for the party in Caracas had mobilized in significant numbers.

The scene was similarly optimistic across other traditional strongholds of the government throughout the nation. Mr. Torrealba noted that this was a reassuring sign for officials, as they believed that a combination of high turnout among loyalists and efforts to suppress opposition votes would secure a victory for Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. “We were calm,” he stated, reflecting on the mood among government officials during the voting process on July 28. “We took all necessary measures to ensure a successful victory.”

However, what transpired next sent shockwaves through the government’s expectations. According to vote tallies obtained by the opposition, it became evident that the ruling party’s base, particularly in the public sector and impoverished neighborhoods, had substantially turned their backs on the country’s leader. An electoral catastrophe was on the horizon.

In Petare, a neighborhood in Venezuela, election workers found themselves outside on July 28, struggling to transmit vote counts from their polling station during the crucial presidential election. The situation was tense and uncertain.

“We felt betrayed,” lamented a ruling party activist from Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second-largest city, who spoke under the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation. “They assured us they would vote for Maduro, but in reality, they cast their votes for the other candidate.”