Maduro government leads local elections

The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won a majority of votes in local elections, maintaining control of most of the country’s municipalities.

The National Electoral Council said Sunday with three-quarters of the country’s 337 mayoral races counted, Maduro’s party and his allies received a combined 49.2-percent support, compared to the opposition coalition and partners’ 42.7 percent.

According to figures from the electoral council, the ruling coalition won in 196 municipalities while the opposition in 53. The results from an additional 78 municipalities were to be announced later.

The results came as a disappointment to opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who claims that he leads a majority. Capriles had also frequently called for the election to be seen as a test of Maduro’s performance.

Maduro spoke to a crowd of supporters in the capital Caracas after the results were announced, urging Capriles to resign.

“They underestimate us. They call me a donkey, there is social racism,” Maduro stated, adding, “They said that today was a plebiscite that Maduro would have to leave the presidency after today.”

Since Maduro took office in April, the country has faced a series of financial problems, including record 54-percent inflation and shortages of goods.

The Venezuelan government argues that the financial difficulties are the result of an economic war waged by right-wingers backed by the United States.

In a bid to curb the soaring inflation and fight corruption, the National Assembly on November 20 granted Maduro special powers to rule by decree.

Maduro imposed a series of measures to force cuts in prices on goods such as household appliances and cars.

The price cuts have been well received by the middle class and proved popular with consumers, especially the poor.

Opponents have, however, criticized the measures calling them short-term populism that would not solve what they call the rigid price and currency control system, which they consider as one of the roots of the financial crisis.