Big win for Venezuela’s PSUV, assurance for President Maduro

In a compelling victory, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 68% of the vote for the Venezuelan National Assembly on December 6. This strengthens the position of President Nicolas Maduro and buries any hope the U.S. had of installing a right-wing pretender in office.

The PSUV and its allies will now take 189 of 277 seats in the National Assembly. Rightist opposition parties won only 28% of the vote and lost control of the body, which functions like a senate. Despite U.S. corporate media claiming the right-wing opposition boycotted the election, there was very public campaigning by Democratic Action and COPEI, both former ruling parties. Dozens of other smaller parties representing a wide array of views participated, but there are none like the PSUV with its millions of members.

On the left there are many smaller parties as well. The APR or Popular Revolutionary Current, which ran as a left opposition to the PSUV and President Maduro, won six seats on the Communist Party of Venezuela ticket.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and punishing economic sanctions, the PSUV was better able to motivate their voters to the polls early in the day. Election turnout was lower than most previous elections at 31%, but higher than the 25% turnout of the 2005 election. International observers from Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East confirmed the validity of the election process. U.S. election observers included professors, trade unionists and community organizers.

After the opposition victory in the last National Assembly election there were multiple illegal and violent attempts to overthrow President Maduro. This includes U.S. imposing sanctions to try to ruin the economy, an assassination attempt on President Maduro, the April 30, 2019 coup attempt, and more recently, U.S. mercenary invasions on the coast in May 2020.

The PSUV victory in the National Assembly election provides assurance for President Maduro. Along with the other legislative institution, the Constituent Assembly, the large PSUV majority means President Maduro has a free hand to implement PSUV policies. A new unity of purpose exists between the president, the legislative bodies and the masses of people. The PSUV is set to advance the Bolivarian Revolution on the road toward socialism.