The international community reacted with perplexity to the result of the Venezuelan presidential elections, declaring scepticism about Nicolás Maduro’s victory announced by the National Electoral Commission.
According to official figures, Maduro would have obtained 51% of the vote, while opposition candidate Edmundo González 44%. However, independent polls indicate that González should have obtained twice as many votes as Maduro.
The US and several Latin American nations, as well as some European countries, expressed doubts about the integrity of the electoral process and called for transparency in the vote count. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, urged the Electoral Commission to publish a ‘detailed tabulation’ of the votes, emphasising that the international community is closely watching the situation.
The Venezuelan opposition claimed victory, with María Corina Machado declaring that the civic and peaceful movement will continue to work until the truth prevails. Several nations, including Colombia, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile, demanded independent verification of the vote count. The Colombian foreign minister called for an immediate independent audit, while Chilean President Gabriel Boric said he did not recognise unverifiable results.
In contrast, countries allied with Venezuela such as Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Bolivia and Honduras congratulated Maduro on his election victory. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the vote count ‘reliable’ and congratulated Maduro, while China celebrated the ‘success’ of the election, reaffirming mutual support between the two countries.
(Associated Medias) – All rights reserved