Based on exit polls from around 90% of the votes from last Sunday's election, opposition leaders say González beat Maduro by a large margin, and international pressure is building against Maduro. On Thursday, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia called on Caracas to release detailed tallies of the vote, and the European Union has said it would not recognize Maduro’s claimed victory without independent certification of the election results.
Still, the US announcement is unlikely to change anything on the streets of Venezuela, where protesters have been demanding Maduro to accept defeat. Demonstrations, which have led to violent clashes with authorities and hundreds of arrests this week, are ongoing.
But Washington's move is likely to spur on the protesters. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is mulling whether to reintroduce sanctions against Venezuela, despite it being a critical source of oil.Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom Geert Wilders, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, and Italy's deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini attend the first so-called "Patriots' Grand Assembly" of nationalist groups from Europe, in Budapest, Hungary, on March 23, 2026.
Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Sunday’s Hungarian election could be a tipping point on the continent.
After 16 years in power, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has been decisively voted out, losing in a landslide to challenger Péter Magyar. But this wasn’t a shift to the left. In Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down what Orbán’s defeat means for Hungary, Europe, and global politics.
How much is the Iran war hurting the global economy—and why is the US less affected?