2013 Venezuelan presidential election

Venezuela's foreign minister announced Nicolás Maduro as interim president.[10] Hugo Chávez had chosen Maduro as his successor, and Maduro became the presidential candidate for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.[11]

The opposition agreed on 2012 candidate Henrique Capriles as the candidate to run against Maduro.[12] Capriles announced that he accepted the nomination and would compete against Maduro.[13]

• Reina Sequera, union leader and former presidential candidate of the Workers' Power party.[14]
• María Bolívar, lawyer and owner of the bakery "Mayami" in Zulia state and candidate for the United Democratic Party for Peace and Freedom (PDUPL).[15]
• Eusebio Méndez, Christian pastor and candidate of New Vision for My Country (NUVIPA).[16]
• Julio Mora, nominee of the Democratic Unity Party (UDEMO).[17]

Source: National Electoral Council

Red font color denotes states won by President Maduro; blue denotes those won by Governor Capriles.

States/districts where the margin of victory was under 5%:

1. Carabobo 1.27%
2. Capital District 3.13%
3. Bolívar 3.96%
4. Lara 4.31%
5. Zulia 4.45%
6. Barinas 4.50%

States where margin of victory was more than 5% but less than 10%:

1. Miranda 5.01%
2. Amazonas 5.04%
3. Anzoátegi 5.13%
4. Nueva Esparta 6.04%
5. Falcón 6.27%
6. Aragua 8.45%

After the election results were announced, car horns blared and fireworks were lit by chavistas as celebrations took place in downtown Caracas.[11]

In contrast, opposition supporters protested by banging pots and pans in the streets. After Capriles' call for the electoral commission not to officially proclaim Maduro the winner, National Guard troops and students clashed in Altamira Square. The troops used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the students who were protesting the official results, while the students hurled chunks of concrete and stones back at the troops on a highway in Caracas[38]

Venezuelan authorities greatly repressed demonstrations throughout the country, with President Maduro justifying the use of force by stating that he was facing a coup.[35] At least 7 deaths, 61 injuries[39] and hundreds of arrests were reported following the protests.[35] Attorney-General Luisa Ortega Diaz said that the violence included the burning of several medical clinics, offices of the national telephone company, grocery stores and other businesses.[40] Following the crackdown by the Bolivarian National Guard, the government then congratulated guardsmen for its actions against demonstrators.[35]

Opposition legislators refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the elected president. On 15 April 2013, President of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello announced that he would not allow opposition legislators to speak on the floor of the National Assembly until they recognize Nicolas Maduro as president.[35] A fight broke out within the Assembly and two opposition lawmakers were injured, including William Davila, who had head injuries which resulted in sixteen stitches.[35] Elvis Amoroso of the pro-Maduro PSUV applauded the injuries of opposition deputies stating "well done what they gave him".[35]

Another brawl occurred on 30 April 2013.[35] In response, opposition legislators lifted a Golpe al Parlamento (Coup in the Parliament) banner because they were still prohibited from speaking.[41] Violence later broke out, and opposition lawmakers were injured. Government cameras pointed at the ceiling during the brawl.[42] Ten opposition deputies were injured[35] including María Corina Machado, who sustained several fractures to the nose[43] and Julio Borges, who suffered head injuries.[44][45] PSUV deputy and Minister of Prisons Iris Varela stated about the opposition that "se merecían los coñazos" ("they deserved those (violent) strikes").[35]

The Human Rights Foundation, condemned the assault, with HRF president Thor Halvorssen Mendoza claiming that "the PSUV approved of the attacks against opposition deputies at the National Assembly".[46]

The electoral commission declared that the results of the election were "irreversible"[37] after the planned post-election audit of a random selection of 54% of votes turned up no problems when comparing the electronic vote with the paper ballot totals.[2] Nevertheless, Capriles refused to concede defeat and raised accusations of fraud, demanding an audit of the remaining 46% of the votes. Reuters on 18 April said that "[Capriles] has so far publicly presented little in the way of smoking-gun evidence to show the vote was stolen, though his campaign alleges more than 3,000 irregularities from armed thugs in polling stations to mismatches on tally sheets."[47] Following a telephone conversation between Capriles and Maduro, the latter publicly promised he would permit an additional audit to be conducted on the 46% of votes not already audited. Maduro also claimed that Capriles proposed a "pact," which he rejected.[11]

On 19 April the CNE agreed to audit the remaining 46% of votes which had not already been audited.[2] This was initially accepted by Capriles, who said he believed this second audit would vindicate his fraud claims.[48] Capriles later rejected the audit, after his demands that the audit include the electoral registry as well as the voting records themselves - with detailed examination of voters' signature and fingerprint records - was rejected by the CNE as "impossible".[49][50] Capriles said that without an audit of the electoral registry, an audit of the votes was "a joke".[3] The CNE's audit of the remaining 46% of votes is to be completed between 6 May and 4 June.[3][51][52]

Capriles appealed to the Supreme Court on 2 May 2013;[41] they denied the appeal on 7 August 2013.[6]