The Maduro government has been desperately looking for something to cheer about.  It faces lots of problems including debt payments that it may not have the money to make.

So what's better than having an election and winning big?  Or what about winning a "surprise victory"?

It appears that candidates associated with the Chávez movement won most of the governors' and state races.

We remind you that projections were showing the opposite, but pollsters can be wrong down there, too.  The Chávez group won 17 of 23 governorships, and nobody believes it.  I'm not sure that Maduro and his people believe it, either.

The opposition is not buying these results.  Why should it?

My friend Daniel Duquenal has been covering this election and fraud in his blog.  He has the best explanation of what happened this weekend:

I knew that the regime would forge results, would commit electoral fraud, but what happened tonight is grotesque.

Venezuela has to be the ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD where food scarcity, severe lack of health care, near hyperinflation levels, major street violence, living under curfew, no hope in hell for whatsoever, and the government GAINS votes. 

No kidding, researchers from the entire world should flock to Venezuela in the next days to study that miracle of politics. 

Books will be written about on how to win elections by screwing up people.

This is enough to claim electoral fraud.

Yes, rush the political scientists to Venezuela and analyze what just happened.  This is the first time an honest election has returned to power the people who gave us massive shortages, hyperinflation, and horrific crime.

Venezuela has just witnessed a fraud.  President Trump should immediately announce that the U.S. does not recognize these results.  Let's hope other Latin American countries do the same, although they've always been scared of opining about elections in neighboring nations for fear that the message could be used against them when they count votes.

This is a great opportunity for President Trump to squeeze Maduro and his masters in Cuba.  We just saw an election that would make Fidel Castro proud. 

Support the people of Venezuela now more than ever.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.