Venezuela's 2024 Presidential Election (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 2, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IN12354 |
| Report Type |
Insight |
| Authors |
Leticia Chacon; Clare Ribando Seelke |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
On July 28, 2024, Venezuela held presidential elections that most international observers, including the
U.S. Department of State, concluded did not meet international standards. Many observers, including the
U.S. Administration, allege that the government of President Nicolás Maduro failed to uphold the
democratic standards for the election it had committed to in an October 2023 agreement with Venezuela’s
opposition alliance, the Unitary Platform (PUD). On July 29, Venezuela’s National Electoral Commission
(CNE) claimed that Maduro won 51.2% of the vote, compared with 44.2% for Edmundo González
Urrutia, the PUD candidate endorsed by opposition leader María Corina Machado. These results
contradict preelection polling, exit polls, and precinct-level vote tabulations published by the opposition.
The United States, and many other governments, called on the CNE to publish ballot records to
corroborate the announced results. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized González’s victory,
called for a “peaceful transition” to a new government, and criticized the Maduro government’s attempt to
use repression to retain power. U.S. officials may impose targeted sanctions on individuals who have
engaged in election fraud or postelection repression. Biden Administration officials, wary of unrest in
Venezuela potentially fueling irregular migration, may resist calls from some in Congress to reimpose
sectoral sanctions.
