Nine Latin American countries are demanding a thorough review of the results of the presidential election in Venezuela, in which incumbent President Nicolás Maduro won. The White House said it was concerned whether the announced result reflected the will of the Venezuelan people. Other countries, including Spain and Germany, request the publication of detailed results. Protests against his victory broke out in several parts of the Venezuelan capital Caracas and other cities of the country on Monday. The opposition refused to recognize his victory. Maduro claims there was a coup attempt in the country on Monday.
29.07.2024 19:37 , updated: 23:06
Photo: SITA/AP, Fernando Vergara
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
The governments of Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay have expressed deep concern over the conduct of the Venezuelan presidential election.
In a joint statement on Monday, they demand a full review of the results and also an immediate meeting of the Organization of American States. The Panamanian government has announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic staff from Venezuela.
The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres on Monday called on the electoral authorities in Venezuela for full transparency. He did so after the re-election of incumbent authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro was contested by the Venezuelan opposition.
“The Secretary-General calls for full transparency and supports the timely publication of election results, as well as detailed results by polling station,” Guterres spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said. He added that he called for a peaceful solution to the disputes and for the moderation of the Venezuelan political leaders and their supporters.
The call comes shortly after a statement by nine Latin American countries calling for a thorough review of Venezuela’s election results.
In several parts of the Venezuelan capital Caracas and in other cities of the country, protests broke out on Monday against the victory of Nicolás Maduro in Sunday’s presidential elections.
Banging pots and other containers is called “cacerolazo” and this type of protest is very common in Latin America. Demonstrators in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas loudly voiced their displeasure with Maduro, and several masked individuals tore down his election posters. A large number of police officers were deployed in the city.
Maduro said there was a coup attempt in the country on Monday. “They are again trying to carry out a coup d’état of a fascist and counter-revolutionary nature in Venezuela,” Maduro said at an event held by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which officially declared him the winner of the election on Monday.
Venezuelan Justice Minister and Maduro ally Tarek William Saab said prosecutors were investigating an alleged cyberattack on the country’s election system. He added that opposition leader María Corina Machadová and two other opposition politicians are connected to the attack.
Maduro won 51.2 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election. Opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who was leading in several polls, finished second with 44.2 percent of the vote.
Several leading politicians in the US and Latin American countries express concern in connection with the results, while the leaders of China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia congratulated Maduro.
The Venezuelan opposition also rejected Maduro’s election victory on Monday. Its leader María Corina Machado, citing independent polls, told reporters that González Urrutia had won.
Source: spravy.pravda.sk
