How the World is Covering the Venezuelan Elections

International media is paying close attention to the historic elections in Venezuela. Here’s what some of the major outlets have said today

The Washington Post 

  • WaPo featured interviews with voters and descriptions of rallies and some of the lines in voting centers late last night. 
  • There’s mentions of the electoral bans faced by María Corina Machado but none about the expulsion of foreign observers or voters disenfranchised abroad. 
  • Their coverage included an explanation of the economic context of the country.
  • Emphasized Maduro’s pitch to voters as “economic stability” 

BBC

  • The British broadcasters placed the election in context of other efforts by the opposition like the 2019 interim government. 
  • They also mentioned the concerns of election tampering and the closeness of Maduro with the electoral authorities. 
  • Their reporting cover political arrests during the electoral campaign and mention the opposition’s thesis that a high enough turnout could make the election impossible to steal. 
  • They also reported on the refusal of entry of international electoral observers. 

CNN

  • They place particular emphasis on government repression and voter disenfranchisement efforts but say that, so far, the process has been smooth. 
  • CNN makes a quick description of Maria Corina Machado’s ideology: “ an avowed capitalist who has promised privatization of several state industries”
  • They also report on voter irregularities and the disenfranchisement of voters abroad
  • Their reporting also emphasizes the importance of the military in enforcing the results. 

The Guardian

  • Their reporting includes interviews with voters.
  • It mentions the fact that Maduro will appear 13 times in the ballot.  
  • The Guardian also emphasizes the refusal of entry of international observers and noted the limited presence of the Carter Center and the United Nations.
  • They place special coverage on the disenfranchisement of voters abroad, listing the residency requirements,  the challenges to obtain a passport and the inability to register. 

El País

  • The Spanish newspaper a live feed with a variety of articles surrounding the election. These include explainers about how the voting system works, social media posts and mini updates as the day unfolds. At the time of this writing it included reporting on the online scrimmages about exit polls. 

Le Monde

  • Their reporting is in collaboration with AFP, the French news agency. 
  • They include concerns of electoral distortion.
  • Many fear that the current president, often described as a “dictator” by the opposition, is trying to distort the electoral game. Rebecca Hanson, of the University of Florida, hints about the possibility of violence and states that the possibilities of a transfer of power to be low. 

El Espectador

  • The Colombian newspaper a live feed with several pieces surrounding the election. They are placing a special emphasis on the voting center in Bogotá, where there has been sizable turnout. 

El Mercurio 

  • There’s very little coverage accessible on the site. 
  • The Chilean newspaper includes an interview with Guarequena Gutierrez, the former ambassador of the Interim government in the country and a few opinion articles. 

El Clarín

  • The conservative Argentinian newspaper includes live feed and many pieces surrounding the election. They are covering the statements of multiple candidates, like Benjamin Rausseo and Daniel Ceballos, voting in the border and polls about the international perception of Maduro.