Maduro Wins Venezuela Presidential Election

Incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won in the country’s presidential election, according to results voiced on television by National Electoral Council’s head Tibisay Lucena.

According to Lucena, over 90 percent of voting ballots have been processed. Maduro secured over 5.8 million votes and his closest contender Henri Falcon received 1.8 million votes.

“This tendency has an irreversible character,” she said adding that no serious incidents were reported during the elections and the voters’ turnout stood at slightly over 46 percent.

Venezuelans went to polling stations on Sunday to elect the president for a six-year term. The candidates running in the election were incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, Javier Bertucci, a candidate from the Hope for Change party, Reinaldo Quijada from the ultra-left party Popular and Political Unity party, and also Henri Falcon from the Progressive Advance, a small opposition party.

Major opposition parties, controlling the country’s parliament, refused to take part in the election. Maduro earlier announced that their decision to boycott the vote would not affect the outcome and the republic would have a legitimate president.

Despite the sharp decline in living standards, hyperinflation and the depreciation of national currency, many Venezuelans continue supporting incumbent executive authorities. (TASS)