Venezuelan Opposition Withholds Barinas State Government

Some hours after the closing of the voting on Sunday, Jorge Arreaza, the Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidate, thanked citizens for their support and acknowledged he had not obtained enough votes to become the next governor of the Barinas state.

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"Dear Barinas. The information we receive from our PSUV structures indicates that we have not achieved the objective although we increased the vote. I thank our heroic militancy from the bottom of my heart. We will continue to protect the Barinese people from all spaces," Arreaza tweeted.

These statements were made before the National Electoral Council (CNE) issued official results, a gesture which was highlighted by social networks as a sign of respect for the popular will and institutions professed by PSUV candidate.

If the CNE authorities confirm the trend anticipated by Arreaza, the next governor of the state of Barinas could be Sergio Garrido, the opposition candidate for the Democratic Unity Table (MUD).

On Sunday, the electoral calendar proposed by the national authorities was fulfilled, further strengthening democratic institutions in a country whose map of political preferences is not substantially modified by Garrido's triumph in Barinas. 

The Chavismo, which is the trend embodied by the PSUV and its allies, remains the main political force, since it has achieved 19 out of 23 governorships in Venezuela.

These subnational elections were part of the democratic process that took place on November 21, when regional elections were held throughout the country.