Venezuela’s opposition candidate calls for strong international support
US insists that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won Venezuela’s presidential election, Caracas, August 2, 2024 (AA Photo)
Venezuela’s opposition coalition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez has called for “strong” international support to defend the country’s democracy.
In a statement on social media, Gonzalez claimed that “peace” and “democracy” in Venezuela are under threat and urged the international community to increase pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Gonzalez insisted that, according to their data, they had won the election “by a wide margin” and reiterated his appeal for global support.
He also called for unity among all opposition parties in Venezuela, saying, “I call on all social and political organizations, whether they supported us in the elections or not, to unite and respect the votes of the Venezuelan people. In the face of this attack on our freedoms and national sovereignty, I urge all Venezuelans to come together.”
Meanwhile, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay issued a joint statement criticizing Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) for confirming President Maduro as the winner of the July 28 elections.
The statement highlighted that the TSJ’s declarations did not dispel existing doubts, and it called for international, credible organizations to verify the election results in a “fair and transparent” manner.
It also pointed out that election records had not been shared in detail, especially the results from each voting center and polling station, and noted that the transparency standards applied in previous elections were not upheld this time.
These countries had previously stated that they would not recognize the outcome of Venezuela’s presidential election as announced.
According to the results announced by the Venezuelan Election Council on July 29, President Maduro won the presidential election for the third time with 51.20% of the vote.
Opposition coalition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have rejected the election results.
