For the first time, citizens in the state of Guayana Esequiba will elect their governor and legislators.

On Sunday, over 10 million Venezuelans are expected to elect 285 national legislators, 260 members of state legislative councils, and 24 governors. For the first time, citizens in the state of Guayana Esequiba will elect their governor, seven members of the Legislative Council, and eight representatives to the National Assembly. Below are the main events of this democratic day as they unfold.

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Zulia Gubernatorial Candidates Urge Citizens to Vote

By midday Sunday, Luis Caldera, the gubernatorial candidate for Zulia representing the Great Patriotic Pole Simon Bolivar (GPPSB), cast his vote in his hometown. “From my beloved Mara municipality, land of history and dignity, today I proudly exercised my right to vote,” he said.

“In this oil-rich state, peace is in the air and you can feel the strength of the people who trust in the path laid out by Commander Chavez, now led by President Nicolas Maduro and guided by the immortal spirit of the Liberator Simon Bolivar,” he added.

Caldera said that a Zulia based on social justice, unity, sovereignty and progress for everyone is being strengthened. “The people win! Democracy wins! Hope wins!” he emphasized.

The current governor of Zulia state, opposition leader Manuel Rosales, invited voters to participate in a process he described as a milestone in local history.

“No one doubts that today Zulia wins again, and Venezuela wins too, because this is a civic, electoral and democratic process established by the Constitution, and we must comply with its mandate,” Rosales said after casting his vote in the city of Maracaibo.

Rosales, a veteran opposition leader serving his second term as Zulia governor, highlighted how easy it is for citizens to vote in the May 25 election. “As people say, it just takes two steps: take your ballot and place it in the ballot box,” he said, assuring that the voting process is proceeding normally and peacefully.

VP Rodriguez Vice Highlights Democratic Spirit

On Sunday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez cast her vote at the Simon Rodriguez Ecological School, located in Fuerte Tiuna. From there, she emphasized that participation in the electoral process conveys the sentiments of the Venezuelan people to the world.

“Elections are a way to tell the world about the victory of the Venezuelan people, who today reaffirm a path of peace and tranquility,” she said in statements to the press.

“It is impossible to overshadow the reality of the Venezuelan people, who are once again celebrating a democratic event. It is an expansion of our people’s constitutional capacities and rights,” Rodriguez added.

“The Venezuelans are voting with joy, reaffirming their participatory and protagonist democracy, which has also been exercised through two popular consultations so far this year,” she said, noting that these elections are historic because, for the first time, citizens are electing authorities for the state of Guayana Esequiba.

“There is no room for extremism or for the exercise of hatred. Today, 54 political organizations are participating in this electoral event, and that is the way forward!” the Bolivarian vice president said, urging her fellow citizens to exercise their right to vote.

These Elections Mark A Milestone in Venezuelan History: Menendez

On Sunday, Planning Minister Ricardo Menendez emphasized that the regional and parliamentary elections mark a milestone in Venezuelan history. “These elections close a cycle in Venezuelan history in which violence and fascism attempted to prevail. In response, the people have acted in defense of their vote and their sovereignty,” he said.

The senior Venezuelan official also highlighted several motivations for voting on this day. One of them is the first-time election of the governor and legislators of the state of Guayana Esequiba, a process that responds to the decision of Venezuelans made in 2023 to defend the sovereignty of the Essequibo.

Another motivating factor for the election of subnational authorities is related to the recent approval of a development plan that emerged through citizen participation in neighborhoods and communities.

Cabello Highlights the Exemplary Nature of Venezuelan Democracy

In statements to the press after casting his vote, Diosdado Cabello, secretary of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and Minister of Citizen Security, highlighted the participatory nature of the elections in his country.

“No one can stop the Venezuelan people. Going out to vote is the best lesson we can teach against the far-right’s campaigns of hate and violence… These people go out to vote every time there are elections,” he said. Cabello attended the Rafael Baralt School in Furrial, Monagas state, where the Bolivarian official cast his vote in the 2025 parliamentary and regional elections.

Cabello emphasized that citizens participated in the elections “in peace, tranquility, and absolute calm,” despite the rains reported in some regions of the country.

“The day has been a manifestation of true democracy led by a people determined to exercise their own sovereignty,” the Security Minister emphasized.

“Every time you vote, you fight against those who want to dominate us, against those who want to hand Venezuela over to foreign powers, and against terrorism and fascism,” Cabello said, calling on citizens to vote for peace, sovereignty, and tranquility in this South American country.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: VTV – teleSUR

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