Venezuela faced its toughest electoral presidential elections. President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner amid claims from the opposition of irregularities. The outcome is said to cause ripple effect throughout the Americas. Polls were expected to begin closing at 6 p.m., but hours later Venezuela’s opposition called on authorities to close the polls and begin counting ballots, said AP.

The head of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, said Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who won 44%. He said the results were based on 80% of voting stations, marking an irreversible trend.

Speaking to cheering supporters in Caracas, Maduro said his re-election was a “triumph of peace and stability”. He praised the Venezuelan election system, describing it as transparent, and mocked the opposition, which he said “cries fraud” at every election.

The opposition has alleged widespread fraud in the counting of votes, and has vowed to challenge the result. It had united behind candidate Edmundo González in order to unseat Maduro after 11 years of his rule.

Reportedly, the opposition deployed thousands of witnesses to polling stations across the country to be able to announce its own vote count.

However, a spokeswoman for the coalition led by González said that their witnesses had been “forced to leave” at many polling stations. The opposition had also called on supporters to keep a vigil at voting centres to verify the counting process in the “decisive hours” after closing, amid widespread fears the government would attempt to steal the vote.

Javier Milei, the Argentina President wrote on his X, “Dictator Maduro, out!”. “Argentina will not recognize another fraud, and expects the Armed Forces this time to defend democracy and the will of the people,” he said.

The election result have set the stage for significant confrontation between Maduro’s administration and the opposition, which is preparing to challenge the legitimacy of the result.