US officials have voiced serious concerns that Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s election victory on Monday does not actually represent the votes of the people.
Just minutes after Venezuela’s electoral authority declared Maduro the victor to secure his third term as president, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his skepticism during an international conference in the Pacific.
“We’ve seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken told reporters.
“It’s critical that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and electoral observers without delay and that the electoral authorities publish detailed tabulation of votes,” he added.
Just minutes after the authority said Maduro had won the presidential election, Blinken interrupted remarks at a meeting of Indo-Pacific nations to address the development. TOMOHIRO OHSUMI/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesWhite House spokesman John Kirby echoed Blinken’s remarks during a news conference on Monday, saying that the world is waiting for the official numbers to be published after other polls suggested Maduro actually lost the race.
“We’re going to hold judgment until that time,” Kirby said. “We in the international community are watching and we will respond accordingly.”
The Venezuelan national electoral council (CNE) claims Maduro had secured the election with 51% of the vote, despite other exit polls showing a victory for opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
While the CNE is meant to be an independent body, Maduro-critics claim it is acting as an arm of the government to secure the incumbent’s victory.
A poll from Edison Research, known for its polling US elections, predicted that Gonzalez was set to secure 65% of the vote while the embattled Maduro would only win 31%.
Venezuela’s national electoral council (CNE) said Maduro had won the poll with 51% of the vote, despite multiple exit polls pointing to an opposition win. YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty ImagesLocal firm Meganalisis also predicted a 65% victory for Gonzalez.
The US was not the only nation surprised by the outcome given the polls’ forecasting Maduro’s loss, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric joining the US in demanding transparency.
“Maduro’s regime must understand that the results are hard to believe,” Boric said in a statement.
“The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency,” he added. “From Chile we will not recognize any result that is not verifiable.”
The CNE is meant to be an independent body, but the opposition alleges it acts as an arm of the government. JUAN BARRETO/AFP via GettyBoric’s call was reiterated by Foreign Ministry officials across Latin America and the rest of the world, with many expressing clear doubt over the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among the few allies who believed the election results and praised Maduro for his victory.
“Remember that you are always a welcome guest on Russian soil,” Putin told Maduro.
“The people spoke and the Revolution won,” Diaz-Canel said, adding that former Cuban President Raul Castro also sent his congratulations to Maduro.
The US had previously rejected the Socialist leader’s re-election in 2018, with America levying sanctions against the country for allegedly threatening an inclusive democratic vote.
American officials have said they could alter the sanction if needed depending on how Venezuela moves forward with its election process.
With Post wires
