EU issues key statement on Venezuela election result as country descends into chaos
The US has said it recognises the opposition leader as the winner of the vote, not incumbent president Nicolas Maduro.
The European Union has declared that it does not recognise the contested result of the Venezuelan elections.
The country's incumbent president, Nicolas Maduro, claims he won the vote on July 28 after the National Electoral Council of Venezuela published its results.
However, he has failed to provide supporting voting records from polling stations, and now, opposition figures are contesting the result.
In a statement released on Sunday, the EU said: “Without evidence to support them, the results published on 2nd August … cannot be recognised.
“Any attempt to delay the full publication of the official voting records will only cast further doubt on the credibility of the officially published results."
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Brussels called for “further independent verification, if possible by an internationally reputed entity.”
The EU's statement came after leaders from seven European countries called on Venezuelan authorities to publish all of the voting information.
The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
They said: “We call on Venezuelan authorities to release promptly all the tally sheets in order to guarantee the full transparency and integrity of the electoral process."
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On Saturday, the US said it recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González as the real winner of the vote.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement: “Electoral data overwhelmingly demonstrate the will of the Venezuelan people. Venezuelans have voted, and their votes must count.
“In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election."
Maduro accused his political opponents of starting a “counter-revolution” and branded them “perverse and macabre” terrorists. He also vowed to "pulverise" the latest challenge to his rule.
On the weekend, Brussels had already said to be "seriously concerned" about the growing number of arbitrary detentions in Venezuela and the harassment of the opposition. The Venezuelan strongman himself said more than 2000 people had been arrested since election day.
