Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is under pressure to release evidence verifying the results of the recent presidential election, which he claims to have won along with his main challenger. Protests have erupted, resulting in at least 12 deaths and over 1,000 detentions. Maduro has offered to show electoral tally sheets and called for a court audit, while the opposition has produced its own count showing the challenger in the lead. Foreign observers have criticized the lack of transparency in declaring Maduro the winner, with Peru recognizing the challenger as president-elect. Maduro is using an app to monitor and report on dissenters, while labeling opposition leaders as “violent fascists.” The country’s economic collapse has led to widespread poverty and mass migration. Support for Maduro’s socialist-inspired movement has waned, with many believing the government is only serving personal interests. Calls for transparency in the electoral process have come from various countries, while Russia, Cuba, Honduras, and Bolivia have endorsed Maduro’s victory. The situation is at risk of escalating into violent polarization if transparency is not established in the vote count.
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