海角大神

Venezuelan President Nicol谩s Maduro鈥檚 political alliance claimed a sweeping victory Monday in congressional elections boycotted by the most influential opposition politicians and widely criticized internationally as being fraudulent.

The win gives Mr. Maduro control of the last major branch of government outside his grasp. It plays out in the waning days of President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration, which leaves office with Mr. Maduro firmly entrenched despite its efforts to bring about his departure through diplomacy and sanctions.

鈥淲e have recovered the National Assembly with the majority vote of the Venezuelan people,鈥� Mr. Maduro said in a televised address. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great victory without a doubt for democracy.鈥�

Mr. Maduro鈥檚 United Socialist Party of Venezuela and allied parties captured 67% of seats in the National Assembly in Sunday鈥檚 election, said Indira Alfonzo, president of Venezuela鈥檚 National Electoral Council. Just 31% of the 20 million registered voters participated in the election, she said.

The National Assembly has been led by U.S.-backed politician Juan Guaid贸, who has pressed to oust Mr. Maduro for nearly two years and end Venezuela鈥檚 deepening crisis. He鈥檚 backed by Washington and dozens of nations that consider Mr. Maduro鈥檚 presidency illegitimate.

The election鈥檚 outcome, however, appears to weaken both Mr. Maduro, who鈥檚 accused as overseeing a fixed vote, and Mr. Guaid贸, whose legal claim to the presidency hinges on his role as National Assembly head, while his own popularity fades after failing to oust Mr. Maduro.

The opposition boycott stems from a Supreme Court ruling this year appointing a new election commission, including three members who have been sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada, without participation of the opposition-led Congress, as the law requires.

The court also removed the leadership of three opposition parties 鈥� including Mr. Guaid贸鈥檚 鈥� appointing new leaders the opposition accuses of conspiring to support Mr. Maduro.

A small number of opposition parties not associated with Mr. Guaid贸 have held dialogue with the government and participated in the election. Critics say this allowed Mr. Maduro to maintain the semblance of a valid contest.

Mr. Maduro campaigned for his party鈥檚 candidates 鈥� including his son and wife 鈥� promising to finally silence the right-wing opposition, which he accuses of inciting violent street protests and inviting U.S. sanctions.

The election comes amid uncertainty over the impending change of U.S. administration. Like outgoing President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden has called Mr. Maduro a 鈥渄ictator,鈥� though it鈥檚 unclear what approach he鈥檒l take toward Venezuela鈥檚 crisis.

Despite Venezuela鈥檚 political turmoil, voting took place with no apparent problems in Caracas, where polling places were operated by civilian militia members and armed soldiers alongside election workers.

As a light flow of voters entered the polls, long lines of drivers throughout Caracas waited to fuel up their cars as the oil rich nation struggles to produce gasoline to meet domestic demands.

Mr. Guaid贸鈥檚 opposition movement is holding its own referendum over several days immediately after the election. It will ask Venezuelans whether they want to end Mr. Maduro鈥檚 rule and hold new presidential elections.

鈥淎lthough I cannot promise a magic solution today, I can tell you with certainty and security: You are not alone. We will not give up,鈥� Mr. Guaid贸 said in a video message. 鈥淲e are going to give everything until we win.鈥�

Surveys indicate that neither Mr. Maduro nor Mr. Guaid贸 are popular among Venezuelans at a time the nation鈥檚 economic and political crisis is deepening despite having the world鈥檚 largest oil reserves.

Karol Teran, a nurse and single mother on her way to work in Caracas, said she didn鈥檛 vote because it would have no impact. The election is controlled, she said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like wasting my time, giving these people the opportunity, so I simply don鈥檛 vote,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e tired of all this. I鈥檓 tired of all of this. It鈥檚 not easy.鈥�

She was still considering whether to participate in the opposition鈥檚 referendum.

More than 5 million people have fled the country in recent years, the world鈥檚 largest migration after that of war-torn Syria. The International Monetary Fund projects a 25% decline this year in Venezuela鈥檚 GDP, while hyperinflation diminishes the value of its currency, the bolivar, now worth less than a millionth of a dollar on the free market.

Mr. Maduro, the hand-picked successor to the late President Hugo Ch谩vez, won a second term in 2018. But his political adversaries and scores of nations, including the U.S., reject his legitimacy, alleging the vote was rigged and his most popular challengers were banned.

Mr. Guaid贸 vowed to oust Mr. Maduro early last year 鈥� basing his claim to the interim presidency on his leadership of the National Assembly, whose term legally ends in early January under the constitution.

The Trump administration and other countries led support of Mr. Guaid贸 and have said they will continue to support him in the absence of what they consider fair elections.

Washington has hit Mr. Maduro and his political allies with sanctions, and the U.S. Justice Department has indicted Mr. Maduro as a 鈥渘arcoterrorist,鈥� offering a $15 million reward for his arrest.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday鈥檚 election was fraudulent.

鈥淭he results announced by the illegitimate Maduro regime will not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people,鈥� he said on Twitter. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening today is a fraud and a sham, not an election.鈥�

International bodies like the European Union have refused to send observers to Sunday鈥檚 election, saying the conditions for a democratic process don鈥檛 exist.

Mr. Maduro鈥檚 government invited sympathetic international observers, former Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Others included a group of men who identified themselves as Turkish lawmakers.

At a polling place in Chacao, an opposition stronghold of Caracas, resident Luisa Fermin shouted at the observers, calling the election 鈥渢heatrics鈥� that she wouldn鈥檛 validate with her vote.

鈥淭here are children who don鈥檛 go to school because they鈥檙e hungry,鈥� Ms. Fermin said. 鈥淭here are mothers who send their children to school barefoot because they don鈥檛 have the money to buy shoes.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Fabiola S谩nchez and Jorge Rueda contributed to this report.