Venezuelan armed forces confirm loyalty to Nicolás Maduro

Caracas. The Venezuelan Armed Forces yesterday reaffirmed their “absolute loyalty” to President Nicolás Maduro, and described opposition requests for support as “desperate and seditious,” amid accusations, without proof, of fraud in the July 28 elections, while the United States praised the contacts between Mexico, Brazil and Colombia with both parties in Venezuela, and refused to offer details or say whether it is in dialogue with the Bolivarian government.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has denounced a “campaign of terror” after prosecutors opened an investigation against her and her candidate Edmundo González Urrutia on charges of “inciting insurrection” after they published an open letter to the military and police the day before yesterday in which they defended, without presenting evidence, their victory in the elections and asked the uniformed officers to “side with the people.”

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino described the document as a “pamphlet” and the requests for support as “desperate and seditious.” “These fatuous and irrational calls seek to undermine our unity and institutionality, but they will never succeed,” Padrino stressed, accompanied by the high military and police command. “We ratify our absolute loyalty to the citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros, legitimately re-elected by the popular power for the presidential period 2025-2031,” Padrino added.

Senior citizens marched in Caracas in defense of peace and in support of Maduro, reported the local newspaper Últimas Noticias, while the Russian Navy’s training ship Smolniy docked in the port of La Guaira, coming from Cuba, in what Venezuelan diplomacy called a “working visit.” The United States insisted on its support for González.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Mark Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs at the State Department, adding: “The real outcome of the elections is clear and the world can see it. Edmundo Gonzalez won the majority of the votes.” In a call with reporters, he said that Washington is “in favor of the dialogue” promoted by Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.

Several journalists asked him to clarify whether the United States had declared Gonzalez president-elect. “We are convinced that he obtained the majority of votes on July 28. This represents the will and preferences of the Venezuelan people,” he said, without directly answering the question he was asked on numerous occasions.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States is working closely with regional and international partners following the Venezuelan elections. “This is a very important moment for democracy in our hemisphere,” she said at a press conference. Meanwhile, a senior Mexican official confirmed to AP that Mexico, Brazil and Colombia are holding “conversations” with the Venezuelan opposition and government, but said it is not a formal “mediation” because none of the parties requested it, and added that the three countries recommended that the government and opposition follow their laws. The European Union called for an end to what it called a “campaign of judicial intimidation” in the South American country.