They arrived at polling stations long before dawn, slept in the streets so they could be the first in line, and then cried as they cast their votes.
On Sunday, millions of Venezuelans headed to the ballot box in an election that will determine the fate of the socialist movement that has governed oil-rich, crisis-laden Venezuela for 25 years.
By 8 p.m., most polling stations had closed, and the nation waited with apprehension for the country’s electoral body, headed by an acolyte of the ruling party, to announce the result.
For the first time in more than a decade, the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, faced a strong challenger, Edmundo González, a previously little-known former diplomat who has the backing of a popular leader, María Corina Machado.
Persons:
Nicolás Maduro, Edmundo González, María Corina Machado
Locations:
Venezuela