In a statement published on social media, Juan Carlos Delpino, the head of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), revealed significant irregularities during the July 2024 presidential elections. These issues call into question the integrity of the electoral process and the announced results. Delpino expressed grave concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the election.
Delpino outlined that serious irregularities occurred after polling stations closed. These issues included the eviction of opposition witnesses and the violation of the principle of equity, making it impossible for voters to access voting records. He further claimed that the transmission of election results failed to follow proper protocols, attributing the delay to an alleged cyberattack. However, Delpino noted he was not informed of this attack until late in the day, at 9 PM.
Moreover, Delpino criticized the authorities for failing to publish the election results in a timely manner, in contravention of Article 125 of the Law of Electoral Processes (LOPRE), which mandates result publication in the Electoral Gazette within 30 days following the proclamation of the elected candidates. He argued that this delay compromised the chain of trust in the audit process and generated uncertainty among the electorate.
Delpino also highlighted issues preceding the vote, such as the exclusion of parties with substantial previous electoral support, the absence of necessary CNE meetings, and significant restrictions on the registration and updating of voter data both inside and outside Venezuela. Due to these irregularities, Delpino did not attend the announcement of the initial results in the totalization room, stating he lacked evidence to validate the announced outcomes. Consequently, he declined attendance at the proclamation ceremony.
His grim assessment follows the contentious July 28 presidential election, which saw Nicolas Maduro declared as President, amid challenges from opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and his supporters, who questioned the election’s integrity. This sparked nationwide protests from both Maduro’s and Gonzalez’s supporters (JURIST coverage). The European Union also expressed concerns and called for the CNE to publish all voting records (JURIST report).
Despite these controversial circumstances, Venezuela’s Supreme Court validated the election results and ratified Nicolas Maduro’s presidency (JURIST news). Opposition figures, however, continue to reject the court’s decision and have vowed to challenge the results further.