Most Venezuelans Unhappy About The Election Results And Demand A Recount Of Votes

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) As the electoral authorities, whom Nicolas Maduro controls, announced he'd won a third term in office, an instant crackle of fireworks rippled around the Venezuelan Caracas.
The opposition claimed instantly that they, not the president, had won.
Television screens up and down the country only showed jubilant crowds, draped in the Venezuelan flag, dancing and cheering.
Nicolas Maduro does have some loyal supporters still, known as "Chavistas" after his mentor Hugo Chavez and the brand of socialism he created.
But their numbers are highly disputed, and this election result is far from over.
As the city hummed back into life the next morning, the government faced pressure from both the international community and the opposition here in Venezuela to explain their numbers – after the opposition were so far ahead in the polls beforehand.

Nine South American countries have called for a "complete review" of the results and an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).
There were the huge queues at polling stations, but only tiny amounts of people being let in at one time.
This led to accusations of deliberate delays, perhaps in the hope some people would give up and go home.
There were some poll stations that didn't open at all, leading to protests and clashes with the authorities.
There were allegations that some of those who work for the state, including police students, were told how to vote.
There was the fact President Maduro's face remained emblazoned above some poll stations even on voting day.
His face lines almost every street in Caracas, with his governing party paying for incentives for people to support him - buses for people to attend his rallies, and free food parcels handed out.
Is this contest fair?
Opposition candidates were banned from running, opposition aides detained, many Venezuelans overseas struggled to register to vote and many international election observers were disinvited.

Security forces in Venezuela have fired tear gas and rubber bullets against people protesting over Sunday's disputed election result.
Thousands of people descended on central Caracas Monday evening, some walking for miles from slums on the mountains surrounding the city, towards the presidential palace.
Protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital the day after President Nicolás Maduro claimed he had won.
The opposition has disputed Mr Maduro's declaration of victory as fraudulent, saying its candidate Edmundo González won convincingly with 73.2% of the vote.
Opinion polls ahead of the election suggested a clear victory for the challenger.
Opposition parties had united behind Mr González in an attempt to unseat President Maduro after 11 years in power, amid widespread discontent over the country's economic crisis.
A number of Western and Latin American countries, as well as international bodies including the UN, have called on the Venezuelan authorities to release voting records from individual polling stations.

Military fires tear gas at Venezuelans who reject the presidential election results.
A heavy military and police presence, including water cannons, was on the streets of Caracas with the aim of trying to disperse protesters and prevent them from approaching the presidential palace.
Crowds of people chanted“Freedom, freedom!” and called for the government to fall.
Footage showed tires burning on highways and large numbers of people on the streets, with police on motorbikes firing tear gas.
In some areas, posters of President Maduro were ripped down and burned while tires, cars and rubbish have also been set alight.
Armed police, military and left-wing paramilitaries who are sympathetic to the government clashed with protesters and blocked off many roads around the city center.
This even is definitely not over.
Nicolas Maduro may have crossed the line of no return.
Stay tuned.

Venezuela demands 7 countries withdraw their diplomatic personnel in Caracas immediately.

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