EU withholds recognition of Venezuelan election results

The European Union has announced that it cannot recognize the recently declared election results in Venezuela without official documentation, according to a statement from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Election results under scrutiny

The EU is closely monitoring the developments in Venezuela with “great concern.” Reports from international election observation missions indicate that the presidential election held on July 28 did not meet international standards.

The EU highlighted that the National Electoral Council (CNE) has yet to publish the official voting records, despite its commitments.

The statement emphasized, “Without evidence to support them, the results announced by the CNE on Aug. 2 cannot be recognized. Any delay in publishing the official voting records raises further doubts about the credibility of the officially announced results.”

The EU has called for an independent and internationally credible organization to verify the election results. The EU statement also urges for calm and moderation among all parties.

Appeal for peace and Human Rights

The statement underscores the importance of peaceful protests, stating, “The EU calls for calm and moderation. Venezuelan authorities, including security forces, must fully respect human rights, particularly freedom of expression and assembly.”

The EU also expressed concern over “increasing arbitrary detentions and ongoing pressures on the opposition,” urging Venezuelan authorities to “end these actions and release all political prisoners.”

Venezuela held its presidential election on July 28. According to the National Electoral Council, Nicolas Maduro won his third term with 51.20% of the vote. However, the opposition has contested these results, alleging fraud and inaccuracies in the CNE’s data.