Maduro's alliance claims win in Venezuela polls

The victory gives President Maduro control of the last major branch of government outside his grasp. It plays out in the waning days of the Trump administration, which leaves office with Maduro firmly entrenched despite its efforts to bring about his departure through diplomacy and sanctions.

Caracas:Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's political alliance claimed a sweeping victory Sunday in congressional elections boycotted by the most influential opposition politicians and widely criticized internationally as being fraudulent.

"We have had a tremendous and gigantic electoral victory", said Maduro from the presidential palace of Miraflores on state television as the government leaders celebrated the victory in the campaign command in downtown Caracas.

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Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela and allied parties captured 67% of the parts count of the votes in the National Assembly, said Indira Alfonzo, president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council.

The National Assembly has been led by U.S.-backed politician Juan Guaidó, who has pressed to oust Maduro for nearly two years and end Venezuela's deepening crisis.

He's backed by Washington and dozens of nations that consider Maduro's presidency illegitimate.

The new congress will assume power on January 5, leaving Guaidó and the rest of current opposition lawmakers little chance to keep the institutional ground they have used to gain support form dozens of nations around the world.

Guaidó appeared on a broadcast posted on social media, telling his supporters that he will not leave them alone despite "the fact that they have announced more persecution against us".

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The opposition refuses to recognize the new congress elected today and will have to deal with the fact that new lawmakers – the majority of them from the government – will take control of parliament a month from now.

AP