International Rejection of Venezuela’s Election Verdict
Ten Latin American governments, along with the United States, have strongly condemned the Venezuelan Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Nicolás Maduro’s contested re-election. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared, “I have no doubt this election has been stolen,” reflecting widespread international skepticism.
Calls for Independent Audit and Human Rights Concerns
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and the US called for an “impartial and independent audit” of the election. They also expressed deep concern over human rights abuses during Maduro’s post-election crackdown, which activists report has led to over 1,600 detentions and at least 24 deaths.
Diverse Political Criticism
The criticism came not only from conservative governments but also from left-leaning administrations, including those of Chile’s President Boric and Guatemala’s center-left leader Bernardo Arévalo. Boric denounced Maduro’s regime as a “dictatorship that falsifies elections,” while Arévalo tweeted that his government did not recognize Maduro’s “fraudulent” claim to power.
US and EU Join the Condemnation
US State Department dismissed the ruling, asserting that it “lacked all credibility” given evidence that Maduro’s rival, Edmundo González, had won the most votes in the July 28 election. The European Union also refused to recognize the re-election without a verifiable result, echoing similar sentiments from Brazil and Colombia.
Latin American Leftist Leaders Express Doubt
Even leaders traditionally allied with Venezuela’s political movement, like Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, have withheld recognition of the election results pending detailed voting tallies. Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also called for transparency before acknowledging the official outcome.
Maduro Dismisses Criticism
Despite international backlash, Maduro and his allies, supported by Venezuela’s military and the governments of Russia and China, have rejected the criticism. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, dismissed Boric as a “laughingstock” and a “submissive pawn of North American imperialism.”
Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third six-year term on January 10, amid ongoing international disputes over the legitimacy of his re-election.