EU countries demand release of voting records amid Venezuela election controversy News
Confidencial, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
EU countries demand release of voting records amid Venezuela election controversy

Several EU countries called on Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) on Sunday to demand the release of the official voting records, after Nicolás Maduro declared victory in recent elections despite conflicting election data published by the opposition.

In a joint declaration on Sunday, the heads of government of Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal expressed their concerns over the previous week’s elections in Venezuela. The statement calls on the CNE to publish all voting records to ensure full transparency and integrity of the electoral process. The joint statement also references opposition candidate Edmundo González and the published voting records, which indicate a different outcome than the self-proclaimed re-election of Nicolas Maduro.

The joint call for transparency aligns with a statement issued by EU High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles on the same day. Borrell’s statement highlighted the EU’s concerns about the electoral process and its refusal to recognize the election results announced on August 2, 2024, which declared Nicolás Maduro the winner. The EU’s position is based on the absence of official electoral data from the CNE, warning that further delay in releasing the voting records would undermine the CNE’s credibility.

Despite demands for transparency from the CNE and the Venezuelan opposition’s publication of the voting records, the EU has stressed the importance of maintaining peaceful and respectful protests, ceasing all harassment of the opposition, including arbitrary detentions, repression, and violent rhetoric. In recent days, protests against the fraudulent election results have erupted not only in Venezuela but also across the EU, including in France and Germany. 

The international reactions follow conflicting claims of victory in the June 28, 2024, presidential elections by both Maduro and González. The opposition has since released voting records indicating that González secured a decisive victory with over 67 percent of the vote. As a result, the US, EU, and numerous international organizations including the Organization of American States and Amnesty International have voiced concerns about the electoral process’s legitimacy and political violence in the aftermath of the election. In a recent press release, Amnesty International denounced the political violence and suppression of protesters and opposition figures, underscoring the critical importance of upholding fundamental human rights such as the right to protest, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and the right to life.

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