El Feed

Wince Like It's 1988

Save for now-defunct democratic institutions, Venezuela’s map once again resembles the pre-1989 era, when all 23 governors were handpicked by the president. The National Assembly will again look like a one-party legislature, bar a few odd guests.

Unsurprising outcomes at Maduro’s invite-only election

The CNE claims that 5.5 million people voted in Sunday’s regional and parliamentary elections—roughly 25% of registered voters based in Venezuela. The real turnout may be even lower, marking what could be the lowest participation in any election during the Chávez–Maduro era.

This is not exactly a surprise after the July 28 electoral fraud, the climate of repression that persists, and the mainstream opposition’s decision not to take part or to boycott. According to expert Eugenio Martínez, just 40% of the people knew that the vote was taking place.

In the race for governors, chavista candidates took every state except Cojedes, where Alberto Galíndez (expelled from Primero Justicia this year) held on to his seat. Incumbent non-chavistas like Manuel Rosales (Zulia), Morel Rodríguez (Nueva Esparta), and Sergio Garrido (Barinas, home state of Chávez) are out, despite having posed no real threat to the Maduro regime in recent years.

This is how the map of Venezuelan states will look for the next four years, at least: Cojedes in purple, and the disputed Esequibo region—the imaginary Guayana Esequiba state—gets a governor for the first time.

Hey, friends and readers in Madrid!

Blog editor-in-chief Rafael Osío Cabrices will be speaking this Thursday afternoon at an event hosted by the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, exploring how Venezuela’s nation, economy, and political landscape have undergone radical transformation in just a few years.

The event will be in Spanish, and it’s a great chance to reconnect with Venezuela’s current reality—or to bring along your international friends who want to understand how we got here.

Attendance is free! Just make sure to register.

🗓 Thursday, May 29
🕔 5:00 to 7:00 pm
📍 Click here to register

The 2026-2031 National Assembly in numbers

285 seats and only one direction:

  • PSUV (ruling party): 256 seats, or 90% of the chamber. Jorge Rodríguez, Iris Varela and First Lady Cilia Flores will be in command.
  • Alianza Democrática (faux opposition): 8 seats. Led by Bernabé Gutiérrez (fake AD), Luis Parra (fake PJ) and Timoteo Zambrano
  • UNT-UNICA alliance (systemic opposition): 6 seats. The likes of Henrique Capriles, Tomás Guanipa and Luis Emilio Rondón made the cut.
  • Fuerza Vecinal (Maduro clients in wealthy municipalities): 2 seats.
Machado’s camp frames widespread voter abstention—which they estimate at 87%—as a political victory.

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