Nicolas Maduro wins Venezuela presidential election

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term. Rival candidates have rejected the electoral process and called for new elections. The vote was marked by low turnout.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced on Sunday the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro with 67.7 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, Henri Falcon, came in second with 21.2 percent, while Javier Bertucci was third with 10 percent.

CNE President Tibisay Lucena announced the results with 92.6 percent reporting and said the turnout was 46.1 percent.

Read more: Venezuela's economic demise hovers over elections

In a televised address on Sunday encouraging voters to head to the polls, Maduro accused the United States of carrying out "a ferocious campaign" to "tarnish the Venezuelan elections."

Despite reports of tepid turnout, polling stations remained open more than two hours after they were scheduled to close. 

Voters heed boycott call

The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), the united opposition parties' alliance, had sent out a clear message asking voters to abstain from going to the ballot box. The decision to not participate in the vote was made in protest, as a rejection of the electoral system, which they said is rigged in Maduro's favor.

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  VENEZUELA ON THE BRINK

  The last straw

  Violent protests erupted across the country following a Supreme Court decision in late March 2017 to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands took to the streets to call for new elections and dozens died in clashes with security forces.
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