Venezuelans stayed away in droves from municipal elections, handing a victory to the ruling party - but with just 27 per cent turnout.
National Electoral Council chair Tibisay Lucena put the rate of abstention at 72.6 per cent. As such, the ruling party won 142 of 156 jurisdictions in play, she said. Some 20.7 million Venezuelans were eligible to vote.
Lucena called it "a calm day of civic and democratic action."
The opposition has accused Maduro of bending the electoral and judicial authorities to his will, even as top military leaders regularly declare their "loyalty."
On the eve of the election, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference said the government's actions "in different public domains do not guarantee impartiality or truth."
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