Editing Elections in Venezuela (section)

===2000–present: Recent elections===

In 2007 the leading [[Fifth Republic Movement]] (MVR) party dissolved and the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]] (PSUV) formed as the leading government party.<ref name=Devereux/> On 15 August 2007, PSUV founder and Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] [[2007 Venezuelan constitutional referendum|proposed an amendment to 33 articles]] of Venezuela's 350-article [[Constitution of Venezuela|Constitution]].<ref name=MaldivasBackground>{{cite news|url= http://www.sandhaanu.net/news/117/ARTICLE/1439/2007-11-18.html |title= Understanding constitutional reform in Venezuela (a background) |date= 18 November 2007 |publisher= Maldives Independent News Media |access-date= 4 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071123132319/http://www.sandhaanu.net/news/117/ARTICLE/1439/2007-11-18.html |archive-date= 23 November 2007 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name="CNE_2007">{{cite web|url= http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/referendo_constitucional2007/documentos/Reforma.pdf |title= Reforma de la constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela |publisher= [[National Electoral Council (Venezuela)]] |access-date= 4 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080216050740/http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/referendo_constitucional2007/documentos/Reforma.pdf |archive-date= 16 February 2008 |language= es |url-status= dead }}</ref> Chávez stated that the proposed constitutional reforms were needed to complete the transition to a socialist republic<ref name=BBCQA>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7119371.stm|title= Q&A: Venezuela's referendum|work= BBC News|date =30 November 2007|access-date= 4 December 2007}}</ref> and to implement his [[Bolivarian Revolution]].<ref name=ABCTension>{{cite web|author= Kofman, Jeffrey|url= http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3945080&page=1|publisher= ABC Global News|title= Tension, Then Surprise, Chavez Loses Reform Vote|date= 3 December 2007|access-date= 3 December 2007}}</ref> The proposal was narrowly defeated by 51 to 49 percent.<ref name=NYTNarrow>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/americas/03venezuela.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=print|date= 3 December 2007|title= Venezuela Hands Narrow Defeat to Chávez Plan|author= Romero, Simon|work= New York Times|access-date= 3 December 2007}}</ref> [[2009 Venezuelan constitutional referendum|In 2009 a constitutional referendum]] resulted in the abolition of [[term limit]]s for the office of President of Venezuela.<ref name="BBC 16/2">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7891856.stm |title=Venezuelan leader wins key reform |work=[[BBC News]] |date=16 February 2009 |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-date=21 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221223059/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7891856.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[2010 Venezuelan parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary elections]] took place on 26 September 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.cne.gov.ve/noticiaDetallada.php?id=4797 |title =Bienvenidos al portal del Consejo Nacional Electoral |publisher= Cne.gov.ve |access-date= 2010-08-21|language= es}} {{Dead link|date= October 2010|bot= H3llBot}}</ref> to elect the 165 deputies to the [[National Assembly of Venezuela|National Assembly]]. Venezuelan opposition parties (which had boycotted the [[2005 Venezuelan parliamentary election|previous 2005 election]], thus allowing the MVR to gain a supermajority) participated in the election through the [[Coalition for Democratic Unity]] (MUD).<ref name="Devereux">Devereux, Chrlie and Corina Rodriguez Pons.  ''Business Week'', 27 September 2010.  [http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-27/venezuela-s-opposition-pushes-back-chavez-in-vote.html "Venezuela’s Opposition Pushes Back Chavez in Vote".]{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>Constitution of Venezuela, article 203 (page 75) {{cite web |url= http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/constitucion_ingles.pdf |title= Archived copy |access-date= 2009-11-01 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060406134952/http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/constitucion_ingles.pdf |archive-date=2006-04-06 }}</ref>

The National Electoral council scheduled [[2012 Venezuelan regional elections|regional elections for 16 December 2012]] to elect state governors and state legislators,<ref name="Noticias24">[http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/324378/cne-anuncia-que-el-16-de-septiembre-se-realizaran-las-elecciones-de-gobernaciones/ Definidas las fechas de elecciones para Gobernadores y Alcaldes] {{Webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160221103654/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/324378/cne-anuncia-que-el-16-de-septiembre-se-realizaran-las-elecciones-de-gobernaciones/ |date=2016-02-21 }} Noticias24, 20 September 2011 – "El 16 de diciembre de 2012 serán las elecciones de Gobernadores y Consejos Legislativos Regionales [...]." {{in lang|es}}</ref> with PSUV winning the governorships of 20 of the 23 states.<ref name="Globovision">[http://globovision.com/articulo/presidenta-del-cne-anuncia-resultados-de-comicios-regionales/ PSUV gana 19 gobernaciones] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121219024030/http://globovision.com/articulo/presidenta-del-cne-anuncia-resultados-de-comicios-regionales |date= 2012-12-19 }} Globovision, 16 December 2012 {{in lang|es}}</ref> Voter turnout was 53%.<ref name="BBC">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20745262 Hugo Chavez allies win 20 of 23 Venezuela governorships] BBC News, 17 December 2012</ref>

New versions of the Basic Law of Electoral Processes ({{langx|es|Ley Orgánica de Procesos Electorales}}, LOPE) were issued by the CNE on 7 June 2012<ref name="CNE_LOPE_7June2012">{{cite Q|Q129505865|trans-title=Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela National Electoral Council Resolution No. 120607-367 – Caracas, 7 June 2012 – 202° and 153°}}</ref> and 18 January 2013.<ref name="CNE_LOPE_18January2013">{{cite Q|Q129504811|trans-title=Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela National Electoral Council Resolution No. 130118-0005 – Caracas, 18 January 2013 – 202° and 153°}}</ref>

[[2013 Venezuelan municipal elections|Venezuela's municipal elections]] were delayed from their intended date of 14 April 2013 after the [[Death and state funeral of Hugo Chávez|death of President Hugo Chávez]] on 5 March 2013, as a [[2013 Venezuelan presidential election|new presidential election]] was also scheduled for 14 April.<ref name="ElUniversal_2013">{{cite web | url= http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/130530/elecciones-municipales-se-haran-el-proximo-8-de-diciembre | title= Elecciones municipales se harán el próximo 8 de diciembre | publisher= El Universal | date= 30 May 2013 | access-date= 6 March 2015}}</ref> Winning the vote by a narrow margin, [[Nicolás Maduro]] was sworn in as the new president on 19 April 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22220526|title= Nicolas Maduro sworn in as new Venezuelan president|work= [[BBC News]]|date= 19 April 2013|access-date= 18 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="BBC7Aug">{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23610744|title= Venezuela top court rejects Capriles' election appeal|work= [[BBC News]]|date= 7 August 2013|access-date= 7 August 2013}}</ref> After around an eight-month delay, municipal elections on December 8, 2013, elected 337 mayors and 2,455 local councillors for their respective 2013–2017 terms.<ref name="ElUniversal_2013" />

The [[2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election|parliamentary elections in 2015]] took place on 6 December 2015 to elect the 164 deputies and three indigenous representatives of the National Assembly. The result was a decisive defeat for the ruling PSUV, which lost control of the Assembly for the first time since 1999. The [[Democratic Unity Roundtable]] (MUD) won the majority of seats.<ref name="ABCNEWS">{{cite news|last1= Dreier|first1= Hannah|title= Venezuela's Opposition Wins Control of National Assembly|url= https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuelas-opposition-wins-control-national-assembly-35616983|access-date= 7 December 2015|agency= [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date= 7 December 2015}}</ref>

A week after the 2015 parliamentary elections, the outgoing National Assembly created the "National Communal Parliament", with President Maduro stating "All power to the Communal parliament".<ref name="NewParliament">{{cite news|title= After losing control of Parliament, Venezuelan socialists create a new one|url= http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/12/16/after-losing-control-congress-venezuelan-socialists-create-new-one/|access-date= 20 December 2015|work= [[Fox News Latino]]|date= 16 December 2015|language= en-US|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151219083433/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/12/16/after-losing-control-congress-venezuelan-socialists-create-new-one/|archive-date= 2015-12-19|url-status= dead}}</ref> The move was described by [[Janes Information Services]] as an attempt "to sideline and leapfrog the incoming opposition-controlled National Assembly".<ref>{{cite web|title= Government-sponsored creation of 'National Communal Parliament' in Venezuela underlines efforts to sideline recently elected opposition-controlled legislature|url= http://www.janes.com/article/56693/government-sponsored-creation-of-national-communal-parliament-in-venezuela-underlines-efforts-to-sideline-recently-elected-opposition-controlled-legislature|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151218015357/http://www.janes.com/article/56693/government-sponsored-creation-of-national-communal-parliament-in-venezuela-underlines-efforts-to-sideline-recently-elected-opposition-controlled-legislature|url-status= dead|archive-date= 18 December 2015|website= [[IHS Jane's]]|access-date= 20 December 2015}}</ref> The process to hold a [[Presidency of Nicolás Maduro#Recall referendum|Venezuelan recall referendum]] to vote on recalling Maduro started on 2 May 2016.<ref name="BBC_June2016_referendum">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36576771
 | title = Venezuela starts validating recall referendum signatures  
 | date = June 21, 2016 
 | publisher = [[BBC]]
 | access-date = August 8, 2016}}</ref> In July 2016, the Venezuelan government stated that if enough signatures were collected in the second petition stage, a recall vote would be held no sooner than 2017.<ref name="Reuters_Recall_August2016">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKCN10C3DV
 | title = Venezuela election board okays opposition recall push first phase 
 | last = Cawthorne
 | first = Andrew
 | date = August 1, 2016
 | publisher = [[Reuters]]
 | access-date = August 8, 2016}}</ref> However, the government cancelled the recall movement on 21 October 2017, with [[Mainstream media|conventional media]]{{where?|date=May 2019}} describing President Maduro as a [[dictator]] following the suspension of movement.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.americasquarterly.org/content/venezuelas-odd-transition-dictatorship|title= Venezuela's Odd Transition to Dictatorship|last1= Corrales|first1= Javier|work= [[Americas Quarterly]]|access-date= 3 May 2019 | quote =By suspending the process to carry out a recall referendum on President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela became the only country in Latin America since the late 1970s to experience the transition to a full dictatorship. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/21/venezuela-president-maduro-recall-referendum|title= Venezuelans warn of 'dictatorship' after officials block bid to recall Maduro|last1= Brodzinsky|first1= Sibylla|date= 21 October 2016|work= [[The Guardian]]|access-date= 3 May 2019 | quote = 'The government has just killed the only democratic window left,' said Nicmer Evans, a leftist political analyst who is deeply critical of Maduro. 'The government went from being a competitive authoritarian [regime] to absolute authoritarianism,' he told the Venezuelan news website Efecto Cocuyo.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2016/08/23/almagro-maduro-se-transforma-en-dictador-por-negarle-a-venezolanos-derecho-a-decidir-su-futuro/#0|title= Almagro: Maduro se transforma en dictador por negarles a venezolanos derecho a decidir su futuro|date= 24 August 2016|work= [[CNN en Español]]|access-date= 10 December 2016 | quote = Tras decir en una carta abierta a Leopoldo López que su condena es 'el final de la democracia en Venezuela['], el secretario general de la OEA, Luis Almagro, aseguró a CNN en Español que Nicolás Maduro se estaría convirtiendo en 'un dictador' por negarle a los venezolanos su 'derecho de decidir su futuro político'.}}</ref>

After Venezuela entered into a [[2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis|constitutional crisis]] when the Supreme Tribunal removed power from the National Assembly, [[2017 Venezuelan protests|months of protests occurred in 2017]], resulting in President Maduro calling for the rewriting of the constitution. The [[2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election]] took place, electing all pro-Maduro candidates to  the [[2017 Constituent Assembly of Venezuela|Constituent Assembly of Venezuela]], removing power from the National Assembly once again.<ref name="BBCwhat2">{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40704184|title= What are Venezuelans voting for and why is it so divisive?|date= 30 July 2017|work= [[BBC News]]|access-date= 30 July 2017}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite news
|url= https://in.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-idINKBN1AE0JM
|title= Venezuelan opposition promises new tactics after Sunday's vote
|last= Bronstein
|first= Hugh
|work= Reuters India
|access-date= 2017-07-30
|language= en-IN
|archive-date= 2019-04-07
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190407042827/https://in.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-idINKBN1AE0JM
|url-status= dead
}}</ref> In December 2020, the Venezuelan Constitutional Assembly was dismantled without presenting a draft for the new constitution.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-14 |title=Constituyente venezolana se esfumó entre polémicas y sin otra Constitución |url=https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/venezuela_constituyente-venezolana-se-esfumo-entre-polemicas-y-sin-otra-constitucion/6070721.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Voz de América |language=es}}</ref>

On July 28, 2024, presidential elections were held for the term of 2025 - 2031, where the incumbent President, Nicolas Maduro, ran against Edmungo Gonzalez. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Otis |first=John |date=July 26, 2024 |title=What to know about Venezuela's election, as Maduro faces stiff opposition |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/nx-s1-5051813/venezuela-election-nicolas-maduro-opposition-edmundo-gonzalez}}</ref> The result of the election became contested as the government claimed Nicolas Maduro won with 51.90% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kurmanaev |first=Anatoly |date=2024-07-29 |title=Here’s What to Know About Venezuela’s Flawed Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/world/americas/venezuela-election-takeaways.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> However, international organism including the Carter center and the United Nations contested this claim as being false and filled with irregularities. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Carter Center Statement on Venezuela Election |url=https://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/2024/venezuela-073024.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=The Carter Center |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Samantha |date=2024-08-14 |title=U.N. experts say Venezuela election results lack basic transparency |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/13/venezuela-election-results-un-report/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> On the other hand, the opposition published the detailed electoral results in the form of scanned copies of the tally sheets on the website ''resultadospresidencialesvenezuela2024.com'' <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-02 |title=AP review of Venezuela opposition-provided vote tallies casts doubt on government’s election results |url=https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-machado-biden-gonzalez-a625eb01979bc9cf5570d03242f198b1 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The opposition was able to obtain 83.50% of the reported tallies, showing that the candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won with 67.08% of the votes.<ref>https://static.resultadosconvzla.com/RESULTADOS_2024_CSV_V2.csv </ref>