VenezuelaElections in Venezuela: the ruling party claims parliamentary victory
On May 25, Venezuela held legislative and regional elections. With 93% of the votes counted, the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared the victory of the Gran Polo Patriótico (GPP), the ruling coalition backed by President Nicolás Maduro, which secured 82.68% of the vote. Alianza Democrática obtained 6.25%, while the Alianza UNTC Única, led by Henrique Capriles, received 5.18%, earning parliamentary representation.
The ruling party strengthened its political and territorial dominance by winning 23 out of 24 governorships, including historically opposition-leaning regions such as Zulia, Barinas, and Nueva Esparta. It also claimed victory in the Guayana Esequiba, a disputed territory with Guyana, which has increased diplomatic tensions in the Caribbean.
Voter turnout stood at just 42.6%, one of the lowest rates in recent legislative elections. This high level of abstention reflects both growing disillusionment with the electoral system and the impact of boycott calls from broad sectors of the opposition.
Pro-Government candidates: Continuity and legislative dominance
The new Venezuelan legislative body will be composed of figures who embody the continuity of the ruling political project, reinforcing the concentration of power around the Executive.
Notable among them is Jorge Rodríguez, current president of the National Assembly and a key figure within the regime’s structure, whose re-election reaffirms chavismo’s legislative control. Also included is Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the president’s son, whose election suggests a dynastic succession strategy and the consolidation of family power. Cilia Flores, former attorney general and wife of the president, also joins the Assembly—her presence highlighting the growing influence of Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle in shaping the country’s new political phase.
Institutional opposition: participation and recomposition
Although broad opposing sectors called for abstention, some forces decided to participate in the elections with the purpose of recovering institutional spaces. Among those elected are Henrique Capriles, Iván Stalin González, José Bernabé Gutiérrez and Timoteo Zambrano, representatives of different opposition currents which, despite their differences, are betting on a strategy of recomposition from within the political system.
Functionality and political role of the new Assembly
The new National Assembly, dominated by the Gran Polo Patriotico with a qualified majority, will operate more as an extension of the Executive than as an independent power. An unconditional support to government initiatives, a reduction of institutional control mechanisms and the approval of legal frameworks designed to protect high-ranking officials are anticipated, which seriously weakens democratic counterweights.
The incorporation of dissident figures seeks to project an image of controlled pluralism, while excluding or criminalizing critical sectors that abstained from participating in the electoral process or that question its legitimacy.
Internationally, the Assembly will be used as an institutional showcase to simulate democratic normality. Its existence will allow the government to sustain the discourse of a regular functioning of the public powers, especially in contexts of negotiation on sanctions or in processes of dialogue with external actors.