Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro on his victory in the previous day’s presidential election.

“Russian-Venezuelan relations are strategic in character. “I am confident that your actions as head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all areas,” Putin wrote in a letter published by the Kremlin.

“Remember, you are always welcome on Russian land. I wish you success, good health, and well-being,” he said.

Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed the victor of Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, even as his opponents prepared to contest the results, setting up a high-stakes confrontation over whether the South American country will transition away from one-party control.

I’m Nicolás Maduro Moro, the re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. “Thank you for defending our democracy, our laws, and our people,” Maduro told a gathering in Caracas.

Shortly after midnight, the National Electoral Council announced that Maduro had won 51% of the vote, defeating the leading opposition candidate, Edmundo González, who had received 44%.

However, the electoral body, which is dominated by Maduro supporters, did not immediately provide the tallies from all 30,000 voting booths nationwide, limiting the opposition’s ability to challenge the results after claiming to have data for only 30% of the ballot boxes.

“Venezuela has a new elected president, Edmundo González,” opposition member María Corina Machado informed the media following the news.

AP