Venezuela calls for a “complete review” of election results

Buenos AiresThe governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay demanded on Monday a “complete review of the results” of the elections in Venezuela.

“Our governments will request an urgent meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) to issue a resolution that safeguards the popular will,” they added, after the Venezuelan National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential elections, amid allegations of fraud by the opposition.

“The vote count must be transparent and the results must not leave any room for doubt,” the text states.

The ruling CNE announced early Monday that Maduro had obtained 5.15 million votes (51.2 percent) compared to 4.45 million (44.2 percent) for the main opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia.

China, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and Bolivia congratulated Maduro, while the result was criticised by the European Union, which called for “total transparency” in the vote count, and the United States, which expressed its “serious concern”.

The resolution being prepared by the foreign ministries will be “framed within the Democratic Charter and the fundamental principles of democracy in our region,” the statement added.

The OAS Democratic Charter is a mechanism used to define cases of alteration or rupture of the democratic and constitutional thread in a member State.

It was invoked in 2016 by Secretary General Luis Almagro to refer to the crisis in Venezuela. The Maduro government then accused the multilateral organization of being “interventionist” and a “space of imperial domination” and requested to leave the OAS in 2017, which was formalized two years later.

Brazil calls for impartial verification of results”

The Brazilian government on Monday called for an “impartial verification of the results” of Sunday’s presidential election in Venezuela.

In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reaffirmed “the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty, to be observed through impartial verification of the results” of the vote.

Brazil also said it was “closely following the vote counting process” and welcomed “the peaceful nature of yesterday’s (Sunday) election in Venezuela.”

Brazil “awaits, in this context, the publication by the National Electoral Council of the data disaggregated by voting table, an essential step for the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the result of the contest.”

Diplomats withdrawn in Panama after elections

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced on Monday the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from Caracas and that he is “suspending” relations with Venezuela, after the electoral body of that nation declared the victory to President Nicolás Maduro despite accusations of irregularities by the opposition.

“He does not deserve diplomatic recognition,” Mulino said at a press conference, in which he demanded a review of the records of Sunday’s elections in the South American nation.

It is the strongest stance yet by a government in the region, following an election in which collaborators of the main opposition candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González, denounced irregularities and declared his victory.

Antonio Guterres demands “total transparency” in the counting of votes

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “total transparency” in the counting of votes for the Venezuelan presidential election and a “breakdown by electoral college” after the opposition questioned the re-election of Nicolás Maduro, his spokesman announced.

“The Secretary-General calls for full transparency and encourages the timely publication of election results and a breakdown by polling station,” Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

“Electoral authorities must carry out their work independently and without interference to ensure the free expression of the will of the electorate,” he added, after congratulating the Venezuelan people “for their determination to peacefully express their will through the ballot box” in Sunday’s elections.

“We have taken note of the announcement made by the electoral authorities, as well as the concerns expressed by political actors and members of the international community.”

Guterres hopes that “all electoral disputes will be addressed and resolved peacefully and calls for restraint among all Venezuelan political leaders and their supporters.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared himself the winner for a third consecutive six-year term in Sunday’s election amid allegations of fraud. The opposition claimed victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

With 80 percent of the votes counted, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner with 51.2 percent of the votes compared to 44.2 percent for González Urrutia.

Carter Center calls for release of election results

The Carter Center on Monday called on Venezuelan electoral authorities to immediately publish the results of Sunday’s presidential election, saying they are critical to evaluating the vote.