Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election by the government-controlled electoral authority, securing 51.21% of the votes. This result, released after a six-hour delay, dashed opposition hopes of ending 25 years of socialist rule, with rival Edmundo González Urrutia receiving 44.2%.
Italy Casts Doubt on Election Results
Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, expressed skepticism regarding the election results in Venezuela and demanded verifiable documents. “I am perplexed,” Tajani wrote on X. “We want the results to be verified with access to documents. The results announcing Maduro’s victory, does it really mirror the will of the people?” The opposition coalition claimed it garnered 70 percent of the vote, rejecting the figures from Maduro’s loyalist electoral authority, which declared him the winner with 51 percent.
Spain Demands Detailed Voting Data
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, called on Venezuela to release broken down and verifiable voting data following the electoral council’s announcement of President Maduro’s victory. Albares emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “What we want is total transparency in the process. And that is why what we are asking for, and what we also expect, is the publication of the results voting table by voting table so that we can verify the results.”
US Voices Serious Concerns
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed serious concerns about the election results, stating, “We’ve seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuela electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”
Cuba Celebrates Maduro’s Victory
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel celebrated Maduro’s re-election, stating, “Nicolas Maduro, my brother, your victory, which is that of the Bolivarian and Chavista people, has cleanly and unequivocally defeated the pro-imperialist opposition. They also defeated the regional, interventionist and Monroist right. The people spoke and the Revolution won.”
Uruguay Criticizes Election Process
Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou voiced strong criticism of the election process, asserting, “Not that way. It was an open secret. They were going to ‘win’ regardless of the actual results. The process up to election day and counting was clearly flawed. You cannot recognize a triumph if you can’t trust the forms and mechanisms used to achieve it.”
Honduras Sends Revolutionary Greetings
Honduran President Xiomara Castro congratulated Maduro and the people of Venezuela, stating, “Our special congratulations and Democratic, Socialist and Revolutionary greetings to President Nicolas Maduro and the brave people of Venezuela for their unobjectionable triumph, which reaffirms their sovereignty and the historical legacy of the Commander Hugo Chavez.”
Argentina Warns Against Recognizing Fraud
Before the election results were announced, Argentinian President Javier Milei stated, “Argentina will not recognize another fraud and hopes that this time the Armed Forces will defend democracy and popular will.”
EU Calls for Full Transparency
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Venezuela to ensure “full transparency in the electoral process” following the controversial vote. “The people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers. Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital,” Borrell said in a post on X.
Guatemala Seeks Transparent Results
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo called for transparent and accurate results in Venezuela’s election, stating, “Venezuela deserves transparent, accurate results that adhere to the will of its people. We receive the results announced by the CNE (electoral authority) with many doubts. This is why electoral observation mission reports are essential, and today more than ever, must defend Venezuelans’ votes.”
Peru Condemns Election Irregularities
Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez Olaechea condemned the election irregularities, stating, “I condemn in all extremity the sum of irregularities with the intention of fraud committed by the Venezuelan government. Peru will not accept the violation of the popular will of the Venezuelan people.” Peru immediately recalled its ambassador to Venezuela for consultations in response to the election results.