Nine countries demand a "complete review" of the electoral results and emphasize the need for the presence of "independent electoral observers to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people who participated massively and peacefully" in the elections.
The Governments of Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic expressed in a joint statement issued this Monday (07/29/2024) their deep concern about the development of the presidential elections in Venezuela.
The nine countries demand a "complete review" of the electoral results and request an urgent meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS). In the statement, these countries emphasize the need for the presence of "independent electoral observers to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people who participated massively and peacefully" in the elections.
"The vote count must be transparent and the results must not cast doubts," says the statement, released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Paraguay.
The signatory countries consider OAS intervention crucial to resolve the situation and maintain democratic stability in the region.
The joint statement joins another statement issued this Sunday (07/28/2024) in which eight Latin American countries also announced that they would closely monitor the electoral events in Venezuela.
Joe Biden's Administration has "serious concerns that the announced results do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people."Image: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Meanwhile, the White House announced this Monday that it will postpone decision-making on Venezuela, including the possibility of imposing new sanctions, until all the voting records of the elections are published, in which the authorities proclaimed the victory of President Nicolás Maduro. .
Joe Biden's Administration has "serious concerns that the announced results do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people," White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby said in a telephone press conference.
The US spokesman believes that it is "absolutely essential that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that electoral officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers, and that electoral authorities publish complete and detailed minutes of votes." the votes".
"We will hold our position until that happens. We and the rest of the international community are watching and will respond accordingly," he said in statements reported by several agencies.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Chavista leader obtained 51.20% of the votes (5,150,092 supports), compared to 44.2% of the votes for the standard-bearer of the majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia (4,445. 978 votes), who denounced electoral fraud.
The governments of China, Russia and Iran have congratulated the Venezuelan leader on the electoral victory, while European leaders and other Western countries have called for transparency in the count.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on an official visit to Tokyo (Japan), was "seriously concerned" about the validity of the announced results and questioned whether they reflect the "will" of the voters.
