Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of the recent presidential election, despite exit polls indicating he was losing by as much as 34 points. Reports of election manipulation, including armed intimidation and ballot tampering, have raised significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, leading critics to label the election as a blatant theft. U.S. officials, including Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, condemned the election results and criticized the Biden administration for easing sanctions on Maduro's regime, which they claim facilitated this electoral fraud. The U.S. State Department expressed disappointment over not being involved in the alleged rigging, highlighting the historic absence of CIA participation in such schemes. Venezuelan officials dismissed U.S. expressions of concern, asserting their ability to conduct elections independently of external influence. The situation underscores a broader narrative of authoritarianism in Venezuela, where the hope for democratic change continues to be thwarted by systemic corruption and repression.