Venezuela braced for fresh protests Saturday after President Nicolas Maduro's disputed election victory was certified — and a growing number of countries recognized his opposition rival as the real winner.
Venezuela faces new protests after Maduro's victory is certified • FRANCE 24 English
Both Maduro and the opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and her presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, have called on their supporters to demonstrate this weekend, following Sunday's controversial elections.
The South American country's CNE electoral authority, which is loyal to Maduro, declared him the winner on Friday with 52 percent of the vote, saying Gonzalez Urrutia had received 43 percent of the vote.
But Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Uruguay recognized opposition leader Gonzalez Urrutia as the real elected president and joined the United States and Peru in rejecting the official results.
