Caracas (AFP) – The United States, along with countries in Europe and Latin America, on Friday rejected the certification by Venezuela’s Supreme Court of strongman Nicolas Maduro’s widely questioned presidential reelection. Washington, which has sanctions in place against Maduro’s regime, stated through State Department spokesman Vedant Patel that the ruling “lacks all credibility,” while Spain and Mexico continued to insist on a detailed breakdown of voting results.
Venezuela’s top court, widely regarded as loyal to Maduro, certified his disputed reelection to a third six-year term on Thursday — a ruling he welcomed as “historic.” The CNE electoral council, also seen as a Maduro ally, had declared him the winner of the July 28 election, with 52 percent of votes cast, but never provided a detailed breakdown of results. The opposition claims that polling station-level results demonstrate that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a 74-year-old retired diplomat, defeated Maduro by a wide margin. They published these results online, prompting an investigation by Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who is viewed as a Maduro ally, and who stated that the opposition had “usurped” the powers of the CNE to release election results. On Friday, Saab announced he would summon Gonzalez Urrutia “in the coming hours” to explain his “disobedience” of state institutions.
Patel asserted that there was “overwhelming evidence” Gonzalez Urrutia had won the vote and warned that “continued attempts to fraudulently claim victory for Maduro will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis.” Protests in the hours following the vote resulted in 25 fatalities, nearly 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests. Patel emphasized it was time for “discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition.” Maduro has called for the arrest of Gonzalez Urrutia, who has not been seen in public since leading a July 30 opposition march.
The United States also signed a joint statement with 10 Latin American countries that criticized a “lack of independence and impartiality” on the part of the high court and the CNE. “Only an impartial and independent audit of votes…will ensure respect for the sovereign popular will and democracy in Venezuela,” the document stated, which was co-signed by Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. Venezuela rejected the statement as “unacceptable” interference. Spain and Mexico insisted that unless Venezuela publishes detailed voting results, Maduro’s victory claim cannot be recognized.
Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia have been promoting negotiations to find a solution to the Venezuelan crisis. EU top diplomat Josep Borrell insisted on Friday that “we have not seen any evidence” of a Maduro victory. “Until we see a result that is verifiable, we will not recognize it,” he added. The CNE has claimed it could not provide a polling station-level breakdown due to a “cyber terrorist attack,” a claim supported by the Supreme Court. However, an observer mission from the US-based Carter Center stated there was no evidence of a cyber attack.
The opposition maintains that it has access to the results from 80 percent of the paper ballots cast, indicating that Gonzalez Urrutia won decisively. Gonzalez Urrutia urged the international community on X to remain “firm in defending our democracy and continuing to demand transparency from state bodies.” The governments of Cuba and Nicaragua, also under US sanctions, praised Maduro for his victory.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, in a letter to Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, commended Venezuelans for their courage in “standing up for their rights and demanding a democratic future.” The letter was dated August 16 but was only publicly shared by Harris’s national security advisor on Friday. Since replacing President Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket for the upcoming November US election, Harris has taken on an increasingly public role. In her letter, Harris reiterated that the United States would “continue to encourage the parties in Venezuela to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful handover of power.”
© 2024 AFP
