Venezuela's opposition won for the first time in 16 years during the parliamentary elections on Monday. The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition won 99 seats out of 167 in the state legislature, Tibisay Lucena, the National Electoral Council (CNE) head, announced after midnight, five hours after polls had closed.
"Venezuela has won," Henrique Capriles, leader of one of the parties in MUD, said as fireworks burst over the capital and the opposition continued to celebrate, according to Agence France-Presse.
The opposition's victory is a major blow to President Nicolas Maduro, who immediately accepted defeat, as well as the 21st century socialism revolution that was started by Hugo Chavez, his predecessor. It remains unclear, however, how far the MUD opposition will push for change with the advantage now on their hands, according to 20read.
Maduro added that the opposition's victory does not mean the end to the so-called "Bolivarian revolution." "We have lost a battle today but now is when the fight for socialism begins," he said, according to The Independent.
