The Controversial Re-election of Nicolás Maduro
Despite the significance of Venezuela's 2024 election, attention on social platforms to Venezuela’s crises quickly faded, highlighting the disparity between the gravity of Venezuela’s ongoing challenges and the global media’s shifting focus. This election has raised questions about the legitimacy of the elected president, the forces shaping the political landscape, and the role of digital media in either amplifying or diminishing the visibility of such crises. The election, held on July 28, 2024, was a pivotal moment of controversy and global scrutiny, sparking widespread allegations of fraud and furthering the nation's political crisis. After 25 years under the United Socialist Party and the Bolivarian Revolution, this election was seen by millions of Venezuelans as a critical chance to escape the cycle of economic collapse and political repression.
In a highly anticipated and contested outcome, the Venezuelan electoral council declared Nicolás Maduro re-elected. This decision came despite strong opposition support, with the opposing candidate, Edmundo González, receiving double the number of votes as Maduro. Reports of voter fraud, intimidation, and irregularities further fueled the controversy.
Venezuela’s Political History
Before the 1990s, Venezuela was a stable democracy with a strong economy due to its oil reserves; the rising corruption and economic inequality began to undermine this stability. In '92, Hugo Chávez, then-lieutenant colonel, led a failed coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez. Despite the failure, Chávez gained popularity as an anti-corruption figure.
After his release from prison, Chávez leveraged his popularity to win the presidency in '98, steering Venezuela towards socialism with significant reforms. While these policies reduced poverty and garnered substantial support, critics accused his administration of increasing authoritarianism and undermining democratic institutions.
Following Chávez’s death in 2013, Nicolás Maduro assumed the presidency amid an already fragile and deteriorating economic landscape. Under Maduro, Venezuela’s situation worsened due to falling oil prices, mismanagement, and corruption, plunging the country into a severe economic crisis riddled with hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine. This crisis, one of the largest humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere, led over 7 million Venezuelans to flee and migrate to other countries.
Maduro’s government has faced accusations of electoral fraud, particularly in the 2018 elections, and has faced widespread international criticism. Despite protests, sanctions, and global pressure, Maduro has retained power, further consolidating control over key institutions.
Ya nadie habla de la vaca para la liberación de Venezuela. Silencio absoluto. Qué en algún momento dejemos de comprar espejitos y nos guiemos por la razón.
— aurelia pena (@aurelia2312) September 25, 2024
Translation: "No one talks about the cow for Venezuela's liberation anymore. Absolute silence. At some point, we need to stop buying little mirrors and be guided by reason. The 'cow' symbolizes the struggle and effort towards liberation. 'Buying little mirrors' is a metaphor for being distracted by insignificant things instead of focusing on important issues."
Pre-Election Developments
The lead-up to the 2024 election saw heightened instability and significant political turbulence. On June 30, 2023, Venezuela's Comptroller General disqualified María Corina Machado—a Venezuelan politician and prominent opposition leader—from holding public office for 15 years, citing alleged links to Juan Guaidó and support for sanctions. Despite this, Machado was still allowed to participate in the opposition primaries.
During the primaries, violence erupted, targeting right-wing figures: Machado, along with Delsa Solórzano, deputy of the National Assembly, and several others, received alarming death threats.
On March 16, 2024, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) announced Nicolás Maduro as their candidate for the presidential election. Maduro officially registered on March 25 and warned of potential violence if he lost. On March 22, 2024, María Corina Machado named Corina Yoris as her replacement. However, Yoris's registration was blocked by the electoral commission, leading the Unitary Platform to appoint former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as their candidate due to international pressure.
Polls conducted in May and June showed a preference for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia over Nicolás Maduro.
@karlamejiassp Ya empezamos con el conteo de votos, no tienes vida Maduro, VETE YA!!! #venezuela🇻🇪 #elecciones2024 #28julio ♬ sonido original - Karla Mejias
Translation: "We have already started counting the votes, you have no life Maduro, GO NOW!!!"
Polls, Voter Registration, and Election Process
Venezuelan voter registration abroad faced significant obstacles due to restrictive requirements, such as the need for a current passport and permanent residence, which many overseas Venezuelans lacked. A preliminary CNE report on May 2, 2024, revealed that out of over 7 million Venezuelans abroad, only 69,189 were registered to vote, and just 6,020 actually changed their voting center to their current residence. Approximately 9% of Venezuelans who had migrated to Brazil—according to interviews conducted at the Brazil-Venezuelan border—temporarily returned to Venezuela specifically to vote.
In Venezuelan elections, the CNE manages the process with randomly selected poll workers. After polls close, tally sheets are printed and verified by witnesses. The opposition deploys volunteers to monitor the counting and ensure transparency, often calling for the public release of tally sheets to confirm the results.
Election Aftermath
Around midnight on July 28, 2024, The CNE declared Nicolás Maduro re-elected as Venezuela’s president. The CNE, perceived as an extension of Maduro’s regime, did not release the tally sheets, and the official result was contested both domestically and internationally.
Venezuela quickly erupted into chaos, with widespread, intense protests in Caracas. Latin American countries responded swiftly, with some, such as Chile and Uruguay, criticizing the election as fraudulent, while others, including Bolivia and Honduras, accepted the results. International countries followed suit, either accepting or denying the legitimacy of the election results.
DICTADOR MADURO, AFUERA!!!
Los venezolanos eligieron terminar con la dictadura comunista de Nicolás Maduro. Los datos anuncian una victoria aplastante de la oposición y el mundo aguarda que reconozca la derrota luego de años de socialismo, miseria, decadencia y muerte.…— Javier Milei (@JMilei) July 29, 2024
Translation: "DICTATOR MADURO, OUT!!! Venezuelans chose to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. The data announce a crushing victory for the opposition and the world is waiting for him to recognize defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence and death.…"
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, posted on X, “DICTATOR MADURO, OUT!!! Venezuelans have chosen to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro," highlighting that the data indicates a "crushing victory for the opposition.” He continued, “The world is waiting for [Maduro] to recognize defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence, and death.” He insisted that "Argentina will not admit to another fraud" and called for the Venezuelan Armed Forces to "defend democracy and the will of the people this time." Milei concluded with the statement, "Freedom Advances in Latin America.”
Edmundo González, the opposition candidate, claimed victory with over 70% of the vote according to independent tallies, but these results were dismissed by the Venezuelan judiciary, raising major international concerns.
Maduro has responded harshly to both the Venezuelan public aligned with the opposition and opposition candidates. In reaction to protests over alleged election fraud, his regime has intensified its crackdown, leading to approximately 2,000 arrests and over 20 deaths. The regime has marked protesters' homes, conducted arbitrary door-to-door searches, and used propaganda to instill fear. Citizens are increasingly avoiding social media and messaging apps to evade police scrutiny.
In September, the United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN) issued a statement from 54 countries and the European Union expressing their rejection of the election results reported by the CNE, citing significant discrepancies. They also affirmed their support for the Venezuelan people's participation in the election and their efforts toward building a more democratic society.
Ese tío está loco y es lamentable. Pero nadie habla de Maduro? Que tiene secuestrada a Venezuela. El gobierno le considera que tiene más votos, el ganador d ellas elecciones pero no el presidente d país. Que chiste es ese? Que tiene el psoe allí???
— ¡Si serás!, ¡si serás! (@sanchezpau21) September 29, 2024
Translation: "That guy is crazy and its pitiful. But no one talks about Maduro? Who has Venezuela kidnapped. The government considers him to have the most votes, the winner of the elections but not the president of the country. What kind of joke is that? What does the psoe have there??? The tweet responds to a Netanyahu post, calling him crazy but shifting focus to Venezuela and Maduro's actions. They criticize how González is recognized as having the most votes by the government but not as president and question the PSOE’s (Spain's Socialist Workers' Party) stance or involvement with Venezuela."
Social Media and the Digital Silence
Given that global crises often dominate social media, Venezuela’s rapid disappearance from the online discourse is interesting. The significance of the election quickly sparked discussions on social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok. Yet, within days, Venezuela faded from global discourse despite severe repression by the regime and ongoing political instability, including continuous alarming statements—like Nicolás Maduro accusing the CIA of plotting his assassination and detaining a US Navy SEAL.
This pattern of brief, surface-level attention is not new for Venezuela: In the years leading up to the 2024 election, global attention spiked during moments of crisis—large-scale protests, economic collapse, or electoral disputes—only to vanish as the Bolivarian regime continued its rule. The cycle often repeats itself, with international focus growing and waning as Venezuela's challenges persist.
Social media algorithms, designed to prioritize engagement over sustained coverage, contribute to this digital silence. New stories quickly replace ongoing crises like Venezuela’s, leaving the country’s suffering underreported.
A Struggle for Visibility and Change
The 2024 Venezuelan presidential election underscored the deeply entrenched political and economic crises that have afflicted the country for over two decades. Nicolás Maduro’s re-election, amid widespread allegations of fraud, highlights Venezuela’s systemic issues. Despite the high stakes, global attention quickly faded, leaving Venezuela’s issues largely overlooked. This rapid loss of focus on social media reveals a troubling trend: while digital platforms can spark initial awareness, they often fail to hold attention to long-term crises.
