Cracas (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has undertaken a war of words against the European Union after the bloc challenged a decision by Venezuela’s top court to approve Maduro’s widely disputed victory in July’s presidential poll.
How Has Nicolás Maduro Responded to the EU’s Election Challenge?
Nicolas Maduro said: “Josep Borrell supports the Palestinian holocaust, the massacre in Gaza. Josep Borrell is complicit in the massacre in Gaza. And now, he’s pointing his weapons at Venezuela,” Maduro expressed.
Maduro went on to claim that Borrell was also being “led astray” by the US, and starting an “open war against Russia from Ukraine.” It comes after a statement on behalf of the EU published by Borrell on Saturday said that publicly unrestricted voting records – or “actas” – suggest that opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia “would appear to be the winner” of Venezuela’s presidential election “by a significant majority.”
Borrell also voiced concern about the “deepening political crisis in Venezuela” where supporters of the political opposition have taken to the streets to oppose Maduro’s claim to a third, six-year term as president.
What Are the Allegations Against Venezuela’s Election Outcome?
The opposition is fighting authorities’ claims that Maduro narrowly succeeded the July ballot with 51.2% of all votes, and has published proof suggesting he was dominated by a margin of around 3.5 million votes. But Venezuela’s highest tribunal, which is mostly formed of Maduro loyalists, supported his re-election last week. The court claimed voting tallies posted online indicating Maduro lost by a landslide were developed. The US and ten Latin American governments have gone as far as “categorically denying” the court’s decision.
How Is the EU Addressing the Venezuelan Election Dispute?
The EU has asked the court’s ruling and is calling on Venezuela’s electoral authority – the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is mostly composed of Maduro allies – to publish the full, verified breakdown of the outcomes. The CNE has so far failed to broadcast the breakdowns to counter the opposition’s claims that González Urrutia succeeded by a landslide.
“Only complete and independently checkable results will be accepted and recognised to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people is appreciated,” the EU’s statement reads. The EU’s spokesperson for foreign affairs, Peter Stano, stated that “it’s not only the European Union that has very strong signs that the final count from the vote (…) is not matching what the leaders have announced,” adding that a UN report also arrives the same conclusion.
