Venezuela's president and opposition rival both claim victory as official election results questioned

CARACAS, July 29 (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro and opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez on Monday both claimed victory in Venezuela's presidential election as Washington and other foreign governments cast doubt on official results that kept the incumbent in power.

The national electoral authority said just after midnight that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote - a result that would extend a quarter-century of socialist rule.

But independent exit polls pointed to a big opposition win following enthusiastic shows of support for Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on the campaign trail.

Gonzalez won 70%, said Machado, who had been barred from holding public office in a decision she says is unfair.

Gonzalez told supporters that rules had been violated on polling day.

"Our message of reconciliation and peaceful change still stands...our struggle continues and we won't rest until the will of the people of Venezuela is respected," he said.

It was not immediately clear exactly what the opposition's next move might be. Gonzalez also said he was not calling for supporters to take to the streets or commit any acts of violence.

But isolated incidents took place around the country before the announcement of results, including the death of one man in Tachira state and scuffles at polling sites in Caracas and other places. Police dispersed a protest in Catia, traditionally a ruling party bastion in western Caracas.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had serious concerns that the results announced by the electoral authority did not reflect the votes of the people. The authority is meant to be an independent body but the opposition says it acts as an arm of Maduro's government.

Caracas and Washington have had an adversarial relationship dating back to the era of left-wing populist Hugo Chavez. Maduro - a 61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister - took office on Chavez's death in 2013 and his 2018 reelection is considered fraudulent by the United States and others, who call him a dictator.

Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population, and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations, crowned by sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and others which have crippled an already struggling oil industry.

Venezuela's bonds and those of state oil firm PDVSA were quoted down between 1.5 and 5 cents on the dollar by traders on Monday.

Argentine President Javier Milei called the official election result a fraud, while Costa Rica and Peru rejected it and Chile said it would not accept any result that was not verifiable.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said details from all polling stations should be presented to guarantee fully verifiable results. "We ask that the calm and civility with which the election day took place be maintained," he said.

Russia, Cuba, Honduras and Bolivia cheered Maduro's victory.

"Remember that you are always a welcome guest on Russian soil," President Vladimir Putin said, congratulating Maduro.

Cutting the cake

Maduro reiterated his campaign assertion that Venezuela's electoral system is transparent.

He will sign a decree on Monday to hold a "great national dialogue," he said as he celebrated with supporters before cutting a birthday cake for his late mentor Chavez, who would have turned 70 on Sunday.

Edison Research, which conducts high profile election polling in the United States and other countries, published an exit poll showing Gonzalez, a 74-year-old ex-diplomat known for his calm demeanor, had won 65% of the vote, while Maduro won 31%.

"The official results are silly," Edison's Executive Vice President Rob Farbman told Reuters in an email, saying it stood by the results of its survey. Edison's exit poll was conducted nationwide with preliminary data from 6,846 voters interviewed at 100 polling locations.

Local firm Meganalisis predicted a 65% vote for Gonzalez and just under 14% for Maduro.

The opposition and poll observers had raised questions ahead of the vote as to whether it would be fair, saying decisions by electoral authorities and the arrests of opposition staff were meant to create obstacles.

Machado had called on the country's military to uphold the results of the vote, saying voters had made clear they did not want Maduro.

Venezuela's military has long supported Maduro and there have been no public signs that leaders of the armed forces were breaking from the government.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Venezuela's president, opposition rival both claim election victory