Ana Vanessa Herrero

Maria's euphoria was short-lived. The electoral council, known as the CNAA, made their announcement just after midnight, saying Maduro had won.

Maria's euphoria was short-lived. The electoral council, known as the CNAA, made their announcement just after midnight, saying Maduro had won.

On election night, Venezuelans uploaded videos recorded outside different voting centers all around the country. A similar scene repeated over and over.

On election night, Venezuelans uploaded videos recorded outside different voting centers all around the country. A similar scene repeated over and over.

One person in front of a crowd at night, reading the voting center's results out loud, sometimes holding the acta and using a cell phone light to read the tiny print straight from that, announcing totals for President Maduro and for the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. This is a video from La Huayra. There's a woman reading results from a piece of paper, shouting to the crowd.

One person in front of a crowd at night, reading the voting center's results out loud, sometimes holding the acta and using a cell phone light to read the tiny print straight from that, announcing totals for President Maduro and for the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. This is a video from La Huayra. There's a woman reading results from a piece of paper, shouting to the crowd.

Table 2. Edmundo, 303. Maduro, 194. Table 4. Edmundo, 342. Maduro, 162. Table 4.

Table 2. Edmundo, 303. Maduro, 194. Table 4. Edmundo, 342. Maduro, 162. Table 4.

The numbers showed the opposition had won 7.3 million votes. Maduro got 3.3 million. According to these numbers, it was 2-1 in favor of the opposition. Even if Maduro got every vote in the remaining 17% of the actas, he still couldn't win. And since the actas showed data down to the voting machine, they also showed that Maduro lost in lots of places he had won in the past.

The numbers showed the opposition had won 7.3 million votes. Maduro got 3.3 million. According to these numbers, it was 2-1 in favor of the opposition. Even if Maduro got every vote in the remaining 17% of the actas, he still couldn't win. And since the actas showed data down to the voting machine, they also showed that Maduro lost in lots of places he had won in the past.

There was a frenzy of people after the election combing through the website with the actas and the vote totals. Were the numbers real? Were the actas real? The Washington Post looked into the website's data and concluded, yes, the actas were genuine and accurate. The Associated Press also concluded the actas' information was accurate.

There was a frenzy of people after the election combing through the website with the actas and the vote totals. Were the numbers real? Were the actas real? The Washington Post looked into the website's data and concluded, yes, the actas were genuine and accurate. The Associated Press also concluded the actas' information was accurate.

Another website collected the videos people had uploaded reading the results on election night, geolocated them, and matched them to the actas from the voting center where they were from. Academics in Venezuela, Brazil, and the United States analyzed the website's actas and totals and concluded, yes, they're real.

Another website collected the videos people had uploaded reading the results on election night, geolocated them, and matched them to the actas from the voting center where they were from. Academics in Venezuela, Brazil, and the United States analyzed the website's actas and totals and concluded, yes, they're real.

As for the Electoral Council in Venezuela, the CNAA, the website has been down almost continuously since the election. We reached someone there by phone when we asked for an email address to send questions. The person who answered the phone said, we don't do email. When we asked for a spokesperson we could contact to ask our questions, they said there isn't one at the moment.

As for the Electoral Council in Venezuela, the CNAA, the website has been down almost continuously since the election. We reached someone there by phone when we asked for an email address to send questions. The person who answered the phone said, we don't do email. When we asked for a spokesperson we could contact to ask our questions, they said there isn't one at the moment.

Maduro has called the opposition effort to create their own vote tally, quote, a coup. The Electoral Council still hasn't published voting machine totals to back up their claim that Maduro won. It's as if what 600K did was so decisive, the government's not even bothering to argue the case and propose an alternate set of facts. Instead, in the absence of evidence, they're relying on force.

Maduro has called the opposition effort to create their own vote tally, quote, a coup. The Electoral Council still hasn't published voting machine totals to back up their claim that Maduro won. It's as if what 600K did was so decisive, the government's not even bothering to argue the case and propose an alternate set of facts. Instead, in the absence of evidence, they're relying on force.

After the election, there were mass detentions, over 1,500 people, according to the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Pino. The UN put out a report last month about the post-election detentions and violence. The report said people charged with terrorism and incitement to hatred after the election included, quote, End quote.

After the election, there were mass detentions, over 1,500 people, according to the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Pino. The UN put out a report last month about the post-election detentions and violence. The report said people charged with terrorism and incitement to hatred after the election included, quote, End quote.