Venezuela’s Maduro and opposition are locked in standoff as both claim victory in presidential vote

posted in: News | 0

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition and President Nicolas Maduro’s government were locked in a high-stakes standoff after each side claimed victory in a presidential vote that millions in the long-suffering nation saw as their best shot to end 25 years of single-party rule.

Several foreign governments, including the U.S., held off recognizing the results of Sunday’s election, and officials delayed the release of detailed vote tallies after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote, to 44% for retired diplomat Edmundo González.

“Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened,” González said.

On the streets of Caracas, a mix of anger, tears and loud pot banging greeted the announcement of results by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council.

“This isn’t possible,” said Ayari Padrón, wiping away tears. “This is a humiliation.”

The election will have ripple effects throughout the Americas, with government opponents and supporters alike signaling their interest in joining the exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans who have already left their crisis-plagued home for opportunities abroad should Maduro win another six-year term.

Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and once boasted Latin America’s most advanced economy. But it entered into a free fall after Maduro took the helm. Plummeting oil prices, widespread shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation that soared past 130,000% led first to social unrest and then mass emigration.

Economic sanctions from the U.S. seeking to force Maduro from power after his 2018 reelection — which the U.S. and dozens of other countries condemned as illegitimate — only deepened the crisis.

Voters lined up before dawn to cast ballots Sunday, boosting the opposition’s hopes it was about to break Maduro’s grip on power.

The official results came as a shock to opposition members who had celebrated, online and outside a few voting centers, what they believed was a landslide victory for González.

“I’m so happy,” said Merling Fernández, a 31-year-old bank employee, as a representative for the opposition campaign walked out of one voting center in a working class neighborhood of Caracas to announce results showing González more than doubled Maduro’s vote count. Dozens standing nearby erupted in an impromptu rendition of the national anthem.

“This is the path toward a new Venezuela,” added Fernández, holding back tears. “We are all tired of this yoke.”

Gabriel Boric, the leftist leader of Chile, called the results “difficult to believe,” while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had “serious concerns” that they didn’t reflect the voting — or the will of the people.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the margin of González’s victory was “overwhelming,” based on voting tallies the campaign received from representatives stationed at about 40% of ballot boxes.

Authorities delayed releasing the results from each of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, promising only to do so in the “coming hours,” hampering attempts to verify the results.

González was the unlikeliest of opposition standard bearers. The 74-year-old was unknown until he was tapped in April as a last-minute stand in for opposition powerhouse Machado, who was blocked by the Maduro-controlled supreme court from running for any office for 15 years.

The delay in announcing a winner — which came six hours after polls were supposed to close — indicated a deep debate inside the government about how to proceed after Maduro’s opponents came out early in the evening all but claiming victory.

Related Articles

World News |


Biden unveils plan for Supreme Court changes, says US stands at ‘breach’ as public confidence sinks

World News |


Other voices: NATO needs better bridges — and bulwarks

World News |


Letters: We need another presidential debate. Here’s how it should work

World News |


Doherty, Thiemann: Time to reduce the rancor, Minnesota

World News |


Michelle Goldberg: The unnerving changeability of JD Vance

After finally claiming to have won, Maduro accused unidentified foreign enemies of trying to hack the voting system.

“This is not the first time that they have tried to violate the peace of the republic,” he said to a few hundred supporters at the presidential palace. He provided no evidence to back the claim but promised “justice” for those who try to stir violence in Venezuela.

Authorities set Sunday’s election to coincide with what would have been the 70th birthday of former President Hugo Chávez, the revered leftist firebrand who died of cancer in 2013, leaving his Bolivarian revolution in the hands of Maduro. But Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela are more unpopular than ever among many voters who blame his policies for crushing wages, spurring hunger, crippling the oil industry and separating families due to migration.

The president’s pitch this election was one of economic security, which he tried to sell with stories of entrepreneurship and references to a stable currency exchange and lower inflation rates. The International Monetary Fund forecasts the economy will grow 4% this year — one of the fastest in Latin America — after having shrunk 71% from 2012 to 2020.

But most Venezuelans have not seen any improvement in their quality of life. Many earn under $200 a month, which means families struggle to afford essential items. Some work second and third jobs. A basket of basic staples — sufficient to feed a family of four for a month — costs an estimated $385.

The opposition managed to line up behind a single candidate after years of intraparty divisions and election boycotts that torpedoed their ambitions to topple the ruling party.

Machado was blocked by the Maduro-controlled supreme court from running for any office for 15 years. A former lawmaker, she swept the opposition’s October primary with over 90% of the vote. After she was blocked from joining the presidential race, she chose a college professor as her substitute on the ballot, but the National Electoral Council also barred her from registering. That’s when González, a political newcomer, was chosen.

The opposition has tried to seize on the huge inequalities arising from the crisis, during which Venezuelans abandoned their country’s currency, the bolivar, for the U.S. dollar.

González and Machado focused much of their campaigning on Venezuela’s vast hinterland, where the economic activity seen in Caracas in recent years didn’t materialize. They promised a government that would create sufficient jobs to attract Venezuelans living abroad to return home and reunite with their families.

Related Articles

World News |


In fiery speech to Congress, Netanyahu vows ‘total victory’ in Gaza and denounces U.S. protesters

World News |


Small businesses grapple with global tech outages created by CrowdStrike

World News |


Global outage: Check flight status before heading to MSP airport, officials urge

World News |


A faulty software update causes havoc worldwide for airlines, hospitals and governments

World News |


Russia convicts US journalist of spying in a trial widely seen as politically motivated

Associated Press writer Fabiola Sánchez contributed to this report.

Paris Olympics: Here’s what’s on TV on Monday

posted in: News | 0

Here is the Paris Olympics TV schedule for Monday, July 29, 2024.

Highlights include the U.S. women’s water polo team vs. Spain (7 p.m., USA), the U.S. women’s basketball team vs. Japan (2:45 p.m., USA) and in swimming, the women’s 400 meter IM (2:30 p.m., NBC).

Monday, July 29

ARCHERY

1 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Team: Bronze, Gold Finals

BADMINTON

4 a.m. EST

E! — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

BASKETBALL

2:45 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Group C: USA vs. Japan

3 p.m. EST

UNIVERSO — Baloncesto

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

2 a.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

3 a.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

6 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

6:15 a.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

10 a.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

1 p.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

4 p.m. EST

NBC — Pool Play

5 p.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

CANOEING

11 a.m. EST

E! — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Semi, Final

8 p.m. EST

USA — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Semi, Final

CYCLING

8:45 a.m. EST

USA — Men’s Mountain Bike

DIVING

5 a.m. EST

E! — Diving, Rowing

6 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

EQUESTRIAN

7 a.m. EST

E! — Eventing: Jumping Team, Individual

9 p.m. EST

USA — Eventing: Jumping

FENCING

12:15 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Sabre & Men’s Foil Eliminations

5 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Sabre & Men’s Foil Bronze/Gold Finals

FIELD HOCKEY

7 a.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool B: Spain vs. USA

GOLF

6 a.m. EST

GOLF — Golf Central – Paris Preview

GYMNASTICS

Noon p.m. EST

UNIVERSO — Gimnasia Artística y Natación

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

HANDBALL

6 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Group Play

ROWING

5 a.m. EST

E! — Diving, Rowing

1:45 p.m. EST

USA — Rowing, Shooting

RUGBY

9:30 a.m. EST

USA — Water Polo, Rugby

3:15 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Quarterfinals

SHOOTING

1 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Team: Bronze, Gold Finals

1:45 p.m. EST

USA — Rowing, Shooting

SOCCER

Midnight EST

USA — Women’s Group B: USA vs. Germany

SWIMMING

5 a.m. EST

USA — Heats: Men’s 800m Free & more

10 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Natación y Voleibol

Noon EST

UNIVERSO — Gimnasia Artística y Natación

2:30 p.m. EST

NBC — Finals: Women’s 400m IM & more

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

TABLE TENNIS

4 a.m. EST

USA — M&W Singles: Round of 64

VOLLEYBALL

10 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Natación y Voleibol

11 a.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool Play

5 p.m. EST

NBC — Women’s Pool Play

11 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool Play

WATER POLO

9:30 a.m. EST

USA — Water Polo, Rugby

2 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Group: Hungary vs. Canada

7 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool B: Spain vs. USA

What to watch at the Paris Olympics on Monday, July 29

posted in: News | 0

Monday’s slate for the Paris Olympics includes a blockbuster tennis match, a handful of the world’s biggest basketball stars, a couple of compelling swimming finals and a gymnastics showdown. Here’s a guide of what to look out for:

Nadal faces Djokovic at Roland Garros

The biggest highlight of the Roland Garros schedule is Rafael Nadal taking on Novak Djokovic in the second match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. It is the 60th meeting of the longtime tennis rivals, more than any other two men have played against each other in the sport’s Open era, which began in 1968.

Related Articles

Olympics |


When does St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris?

Olympics |


What to watch at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, July 28

Olympics |


Paris Olympics: Here’s what’s on TV on Sunday

Olympics |


Olympics: St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee comes up clutch, secures her spot in all-around final

Olympics |


Jace Frederick: What if, just for these Olympics, Anthony Edwards looked more like Jrue Holiday than LeBron James?

Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia, has 24 Grand Slam titles, making him the only man in tennis history with more than Nadal’s 22.

Cheered on by an adoring crowd, Nadal beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round Sunday. Nadal made a last-minute decision to remain in the singles bracket, a day after he won in doubles and said he wasn’t sure if he would participate in both events.

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also play on Monday.

China and Japan set up for exciting final in men’s gymnastics

The men’s gymnastics team final starts at 5:30 p.m. CEST (11:30 a.m. EST). China and Japan rolled through qualifying on Saturday. China is the favorite to win its fourth Olympic team title after posting a total of 263.028 at qualifying. Japan is a seven-time Olympic champion and finished second at 260.594. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto will defend his all-around title.

The Japanese won silver in Tokyo in 2021, while China took bronze. Defending champion Russia is ineligible due to the war in Ukraine.

Team USA women’s basketball begins quest for 8th straight gold

The U.S. women’s basketball team opens its pursuit of a record eighth straight gold medal. Team USA will face Japan at 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. EST) at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. The U.S. women are on a 55-game Olympic winning streak; they haven’t lost since 1992 in Barcelona. Japan took silver in Tokyo after losing to the U.S. 90-75.

United States’ Breanna Stewart, left, drives around Germany’s Leonie Fiebich during a women’s exhibition basketball game between the United States and Germany at the O2 Arena in London, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The U.S. team is led by two-time WNBA MVPs A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi returns for her sixth Games.

Also, host France will take on Canada at 5:15 p.m. CEST (11:15 a.m. EST).

Swimming heats up

The women’s 400-meter individual medley final begins at 8:30 p.m. CEST (2:30 p.m. EST) at Paris La Defense Arena. Canada’s Summer McIntosh is a favorite after lowering her own world record (4:24.38) at the Canadian Olympic trials in May. Qualifying heats start at 11 a.m. CEST (5 a.m. EST).

Summer McIntosh, of Canada, competes during a heat in the women’s 400-meter freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

McIntosh also will compete in the women’s 200 freestyle at 9:41 p.m. CEST (3:41 p.m. EST), the last swimming final of the night. McIntosh won her country’s first medal of the Paris Olympics when she beat out the U.S.’s Katie Ledecky for silver in the 400 freestyle Saturday night.

For the men, the 200-freestyle final starts at 8:40 p.m. CEST (2:40 p.m. EST), followed by the men’s 100 backstroke final at 9:19 p.m. CEST (3:19 p.m. EST).

Other finals around the Olympics

Britain’s Tom Daley will attempt to defend his men’s 10-meter synchronized diving title with partner Noah Williams. Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. CEST (5 a.m. EST) at the Aquatics Centre.

A complete list of Paris Olympics medal winners

posted in: News | 0

PARIS (AP) — The 2024 Olympics are underway. Australia led the medal standings after the first day of competition, but more winners will join the list every day from July 27-Aug. 11. See which countries lead the medal count. Below is a list of all the medal winners, day by day.

Sunday, July 28

ARCHERY

WOMEN’S TEAM

Gold: South Korea

Silver: China

Bronze: Mexico

CANOE SLALOM

WOMEN’S KAYAK SINGLE

Australia’s Jessica Fox gold medalist in the women’s kayak single poses with her medal during the canoe slalom at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Gold: Jessica Fox, Australia

Silver: Klaudia Zwolinska, Poland

Bronze: Kimberley Woods, Britain

CYCLING MOUNTAIN BIKE

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

Gold: Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, France

Silver: Haley Batten, United States

Bronze: Jenny Rissveds, Sweden

FENCING

MEN’S EPEE INDIVIDUAL

Gold: Koki Kano, Japan

Silver: Yannick Borel, France

Bronze: Mohamed Elsayed, Egypt

WOMEN’S FOIL INDIVIDUAL

Gold: Lee Kiefer, United States

Silver: Lauren Scruggs, United States

Bronze: Eleanor Harvey, Canada

JUDO

WOMEN’S 52KG

Gold: Diyora Keldiyorova, Uzbekistan

Silver: Distria Krasniqi, Kosovo

Bronze: Larissa Pimenta, Brazil and Amandine Buchard, France

MEN’S 66KG

Gold: Hifumi Abe, Japan

Silver: Willian Lima, Brazil

Bronze: Gusman Kyrgyzbayev, Kazakhstan and Denis Vieru, Moldova

SHOOTING

MEN’S 10M AIR PISTOL

Gold: Xie Yu, China

Silver: Federico Nilo Maldini, Italy

Bronze: Paolo Monna, Italy

SKATEBOARDING

WOMEN’S STREET

Rayssa Leal, of Brazil, right, gestures during the women’s skateboard street final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. At left is Liz Akama, of Japan, and center Coco Yoshizawa, also of Japan.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Gold: Coco Yoshizawa, Japan

Silver: Liz Akama, Japan

Bronze: Rayssa Leal, Brazil

SWIMMING

MEN’S 400M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

Gold: Léon Marchand, France

Silver: Tomoyuki Matsushita, Japan

Bronze: Carson Foster, United States

MEN’S 100M BREASTSTROKE

Gold: Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy

Silver: Adam Peaty, Britain and Nic Fink, United States

WOMEN’S 100M BUTTERFLY

Torri Huske, left, of the United States, reacts after winning the women’s 100-meter butterfly final with teammate Gretchen Walsh at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Gold: Torri Huske, United States

Silver: Gretchen Walsh, United States

Bronze: Zhang Yufei, China

WOMEN’S 10M AIR PISTOL

Gold: Oh Ye-jin, South Korea

Silver: Kim Ye-ji, South Korea

Bronze: Manu Bhaker, India

Saturday, July 27

CYCLING

MEN’S INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL

Gold: Remco Evenepoel, Belgium

Silver: Filippo Ganna, Italy

Bronze: Wout van Aert, Belgium

WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL

Gold: Grace Brown, Australia

Silver: Anna Henderson, Britain

Bronze: Chloe Dygert, United States

DIVING

WOMEN’S SYNCHRONISED 3M SPRINGBOARD

China’s Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani hold their gold medal on the podium of the women’s synchronised 3m springboard diving final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Gold: Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen, China

Silver: Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook, United States

Bronze: Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen, Britain

FENCING

WOMEN’S EPEE INDIVIDUAL

Gold: Vivian Kong, Hong Kong

Silver: Auriane Mallo-Breton, France

Bronze: Eszter Muhari, Hungary

MEN’S SABER INDIVIDUAL

Bronze: Luigi Samele, Italy

JUDO

WOMEN 48KG

Gold: Natsumi Tsunoda, Japan

Silver: Baasankhuu Bavuudori, Mongolia

Bronze: Shirine Boukli, France, and Tara Babulfath, Sweden

MEN 60KG

Gold: Yeldos Smetov, Kazakhstan

Silver: Luka Mkheidze, France

Bronze: Ryuju Nagayama, Japan and Francisco Garrigos, Spain

RUGBY SEVENS

Gold: France

Silver: Fiji

Bronze: South Africa

SHOOTING

10M AIR RIFLE MIXED TEAM

Medal winners pose for a photograph after the medal ceremony of the 10m air rifle mixed team competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. China’s Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the gold in the competion, while South Korea’s Park Hajun and Keum Jihyeon took silver and Kazakhstan’s Islam Satpayev and Alexandra Le took the bronze. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Gold: Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, China

Silver: Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun, South Korea

Bronze: Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev, Kazakhstan

SWIMMING

MEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Gold: Lukas Maertens, Germany

Silver: Elijah Winnington, Australia

Bronze: Kim Woo-min, South Korea

MEN’S 4X100M FREESTYLE RELAY

Gold: United States

Silver: Australia

Bronze: Italy

WOMEN’S 400M FREESTYLE

Gold: Ariarne Titmus, Australia

Silver: Summer McIntosh, Canada

Bronze: Katie Ledecky, United States

WOMEN’S 4X100M FREESTYLE RELAY

Gold: Australia

Silver: United States

Bronze: China

 See other events still in progress