Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro may have claimed victory in his country’s presidential election on July 28, but many people in the country still believe he lost.
Thousands of people continue to protest the results of the election nearly a month after it was called. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado joined the protesters in the country’s capital this week, encouraging the demonstrations to continue, the BBC reported.
"We won't leave the streets," Machado told the thousands protesting Maduro’s alleged victory.
Many world leaders were skeptical about Venezuela’s election results in July. The country’s opposition party revealed it had proof of Maduro’s defeat, claiming it obtained 70% of the tally sheets from the election that showed Maduro had indeed lost the election to Democratic Unitary Platform candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
The Associated Press also reported that Gonzalez had significantly more votes than Maduro at the time of the election. However, Maduro rejected these claims, and the country's governing body in charge of elections, which was suspected of being an ally to Maduro, declared him the winner.
On Aug. 16, the U.S. State Department released a joint statement about the election in Venezuela, criticizing the actions of the government.
“Acceptance and respect for the dignity and integrity of all individuals are the essential principles upon which the peaceful coexistence in our societies is built,” it said in the statement . “We urge for the respect of democratic principles, as well as the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans, particularly the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression. We are concerned that this reality currently does not exist in Venezuela. Reports of arbitrary detentions of Venezuelans without due process are alarming, and therefore we urgently call for their immediate release.”
The statement also identified the election results that conflicted with Maduro’s claims of victory.
“We take note of the preliminary report by the United Nations Expert Panel on the presidential election in Venezuela which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has yet to present the electoral records that substantiate the validity of the results announced on August 2,” the joint statement noted. “It should also be noted that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which shows a different outcome than that reported by the CNE.”
“Consequently, we request the immediate publication of all original records and the impartial and independent verification of those results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls,” the joint statement said. “Any delay in this process calls into question the August 2, 2024, official proclamation.”
This statement was signed by 21 other countries, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, Italy, and the United States, as well as the European Union.
Additionally, the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, warned that if Maduro is unable to prove that he was victorious in the July election, it could lead to a serious crisis in the country.
“If Maduro insists on saying he has won and does not want to understand that for the international community, without verification, there is no assumption of results, Venezuela could enter a serious crisis — we are all trying to prevent this from happening,” Borrell said.
Machado said sheplans to continue her efforts to unseat Maduro and prove that he lost. So, too, does Gonzalez. He took to X to express his support for the continued opposition to Maduro.
“They will not be able to cover up the reality of July 28: we won resoundingly,” Gonzalez posted.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Machado expressed optimism that the truth will eventually prevail and that Maduro will have to concede that he lost and step down.
“Let the world and everyone in Venezuela recognize that the president-elect is Edmundo Gonzalez,” Machado said during a demonstration in the country.
Most Popular
Comments / 0