Overview

• Venezuela's regional and legislative elections on May 25 are expected to see record-low turnout, with polls predicting under 16% voter participation.
• Opposition leader María Corina Machado remains in hiding, calling for a boycott to delegitimize what she describes as a fraudulent process under President Nicolás Maduro.
• Maduro's ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) is poised to consolidate power, with opposition factions divided over whether to participate or abstain.
• Economic hardship continues to deepen, with year-over-year inflation reaching 172% in April and the minimum wage plummeting to $1.36 per month.
• U.S. decisions on Chevron's oil operations, set to expire May 27, are seen as having a more immediate impact on Venezuelans than the election outcome.