US secretary of state Antony Blinken said America has “serious concerns” about the announced result of Venezuela’s presidential election that authorities say was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro. PHOTO: AP
In Summary:
1) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expresses serious concerns about the announced results of Venezuela’s presidential election, suggesting they do not reflect the people’s votes.
2) The U.S. calls for fair and transparent vote counting and immediate information sharing with opposition and electoral observers.
The United States has raised serious concerns about the results announced by Venezuela’s electoral authority, which declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner of a third term.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that these results do not reflect the votes of the Venezuelan people.
Shortly after the electoral authority’s announcement, Blinken interrupted his remarks at a meeting of Indo-Pacific nations to address the issue.
“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,” he said.
In Venezuela, the announcement of Sunday’s election results was delayed by several hours.
The National Electoral Council, controlled by Maduro loyalists, declared Maduro the winner without releasing tallies from polling booths.
President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner (AP)
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was blocked from running, claimed that the opposition’s candidate, Edmundo González, had an overwhelming margin of victory based on voting tallies received from campaign representatives from about 40% of ballot boxes nationwide.
Blinken emphasized the need for fair and transparent vote counting.
“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 said.
Venezuela’s national electoral council (CNE) reported that Maduro won the election with 51% of the vote, despite multiple exit polls indicating an opposition victory.
The CNE is supposed to be an independent body, but the opposition claims it acts as an arm of the government.
An exit poll conducted by Edison Research, known for its accuracy in U.S. elections, predicted that opposition candidate Gonzalez would win 65% of the vote, while Maduro would secure 31%.
Washington, which previously rejected Maduro’s 2018 reelection, had eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry last October in response to a deal between Maduro and opposition parties.
However, the U.S. later reinstated the sanctions due to actions it claimed threatened an inclusive democratic vote. U.S. officials have stated that future sanctions policy will be adjusted based on the conduct of the elections.