Legislation, local elections are the first elections since the contested presidential vote last year to allow wider voters to participate.
Venezuelans are casting votes in legislative and local elections under the shadow of opposition leaders seeking elevated government crackdowns and boycotts.
Sunday’s election was the first election since the contested presidential vote last year to allow comprehensive voters to participate, and President Nicolas Maduro claimed he won despite contradictory evidence.
It also comes two days after the government accused the government of being linked to a suspected conspiracy to detain dozens of people, including prominent opposition leaders, and block the vote.
In the first few hours after the polls were opened, military members reportedly outperformed voters at several voting centres in the capital, Karaka. Outside the polling station, there is no boundary line formed, including the largest in the country. This is in stark contrast to the hundreds of people gathered around the same time for the July 28 presidential election.
Many people seemed to have lost faith in the election process. “After they stole the election last year, I’m not going to vote. What’s it for? I don’t want to be disappointed again,” said Paula Arangren, a resident of Caracas.
In the eyes of the opposition, voter participation justifies Maduro’s claims on power and what they brand as a oppressive device for his government.
After the presidential election, 25 people have been killed and more than 2,000 people have been reportedly detained, including protesters, voting workers, political activists and minors. The government also issued a warrant for arrests against opposition leaders, leveling out the charges against them, ranging from conspiracy to forgery of records.
Despite the risks, campaigns for some remained an important form of resistance to the government.
“History is full of evidence that voting is a tool for democracy,” Henrique Capriles, a former opposition presidential candidate who is currently running for a seat in the Parliament, told Al Jazeera.
“The way we stood for our rights last year is because the vote was left to reveal the rejection of Maduro and his government,” Capriles said.
Meanwhile, the ruling party is promoting overwhelming victory across the country, as it did in previous regional elections.
A national poll conducted by Venezuela-based research firm Delphos from April 29 to May 4 showed that only 15.9% of voters were more likely to vote on Sunday.
Of these, 74.2% said they would vote for candidates from the dominant Socialist Party of Venezuela and its allies, while 13.8% said they would vote for candidates related to two opposition leaders who have not boycotted the election.
Maduro has condemned opposition to attempts to destabilize the country.
“The suffering of fascist deaths has tried to bring in mercenaries. Today we are already capturing more than 50 mercenaries who have come to plant bombs and launch violent attacks within the country,” he told supporters before the election.
Political analysts said there is virtually no chance of a free and fair election.
“There are no witnesses at the table, there are few witnesses. No one wants to be a witness,” political analyst Beninho Alarcon told Al Jazeera.
Some voters who voted on Sunday said they did so because they feared losing government jobs, food and other benefits from state control.
“Most of my friends are not going to vote, and they’re not even blank votes,” Miguel Otero, a 69-year-old state employee, told the Associated Press. “But we have to obey. We have to send a photo. [showing] I’m at the polling station right now. ”
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