The European Union (EU) expressed concerns over ongoing protests following the results of Venezuela’s recent presidential election in a statement given by High Representative Josep Borrell on Tuesday.
The announcement came after Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) declared incumbent President Nicolás Maduro the winner on Monday, claiming he secured 51.2 per cent of the vote against opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia’s 44.2 per cent. Borrell expressed concern over the partial and unverifiable nature of the CNE’s results. The CNE has according to the statement presented results corresponding to only 80 per cent of the vote count without providing access to voting records, making it impossible to verify the declared outcome.
Both Maduro and González claimed victory on Monday, with González’s opposition coalition asserting that he obtained over 73 per cent of the votes. The controversial election has sparked widespread protests across Venezuela, with demonstrators taking to the streets in major cities.
International reactions to the election results have been mixed. While Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro, calling him “always a welcome guest on Russian soil,” other leaders have expressed skepticism. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced “serious concerns” over the accuracy of the results, urging a transparent and detailed accounting of the vote. Similarly, Chile’s Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren stated that Chile would await international observers’ verification of the results before granting any recognition, and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves declared his government’s refusal to accept the CNE’s declaration.
González has rejected the official results, asserting that the true will of the Venezuelan people is to be respected. Meanwhile, Borrell, in his statement, called on the Venezuelan authorities to ensure transparency by making all voting records public and subject to independent verification. He also added that it should ensure that the protests remain peaceful and no breach of human rights takes place.
