Historic win for Venezuela’s opposition parties

The opposition Democratic Unity coalition won 99 seats to the Socialists’ 46 in the 167-national National Assembly, the election board said, with some districts still to be counted. When the results were announced soon after midnight, fireworks were set off in celebration in pro-opposition districts of Caracas while government supporters dismantled planned victory parties.

Maduro, 53, quickly acknowledged the defeat, the worst for the ruling “Chavismo” movement since its founder Hugo Chavez took power in the South American OPEC nation in 1999. “We are here, with morals and ethics, to recognize these adverse results,” Maduro said in a speech to the nation, blaming an “economic war” against him for the results. Opposition leaders, who have lost over-and-over since Chavez’s first election victory 17 years ago, were jubilant, even though their victory was mainly thanks to public disgust at Venezuela’s deep economic recession.

“The results are as we hoped. Venezuela has won. It’s irreversible,” tweeted Henrique Capriles, a former presidential candidate and one of the leading figures in the coalition. The result could embolden government foes to seek a recall election against Maduro in 2016 if they garner the nearly 4 million signatures needed to trigger a referendum. The government’s defeat was another blow to Latin America’s left following last month’s swing to the center-right in Argentina’s presidential election.