Spain will not recognize Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the presidential elections in Venezuela, confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), until the minutes of the elections held last July 28 are published “in a complete and verifiable manner”.
“It is essential,” have stated sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that until this occurs, the result of the elections that took place last July 28 in Venezuela cannot be recognized, nor can Maduro’s victory be verified, rejected by the opposition which claims that its candidate, Edmundo González, is the winner.
The reality is that almost a month after the elections were held, the Venezuelan government has not yet published the minutes and this Thursday, the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela (TSJ), an organ controlled by the regime itself, validated Maduro’s victory following an alleged scrutiny of the presidential election minutes where the National Electoral Council (CNE), also controlled by Chavismo, proclaimed him the winner of the contest.
Upon learning of the TSJ’s decision, González demanded an independent international audit to “show the minutes table by table and carry out an international, impartial, independent, and reliable audit.” “We won overwhelmingly and we have the minutes to prove it”, claimed the former ambassador, who accuses Maduro’s regime of judicializing the results to hide the truth.
“As we have said from the beginning, to be able to recognize the results of Venezuela’s presidential elections, it is essential that the minutes with the election results are published in a complete and verifiable manner, so that there is full transparency as indicated by the United Nations expert panel and as is usual in all democracies”, explained sources from the Foreign Office.
“As long as this does not occur, we will not be able to recognize the result of the elections,” have warned from the department led by José Manuel Albares, aligning thus with the stance expressed by some Ibero-American leaders, like the Chilean Gabriel Boric, who have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory validated by the TSJ this Thursday.
From Foreign Affairs, a call has also been reiterated “to respect the right of Venezuelans to demonstrate peacefully and to freely express their political opinions”, after the protests following the electoral result have left several dead.
Furthermore, they have assured that the Government will continue to work with its “Latin American brothers” and “partners in the EU to respect the democratic will of the Venezuelan people, for a political solution based on dialogue and negotiation among Venezuelans, and for the cessation of detentions and the maintenance of the social peace the country needs”.
Spain has already signed a joint statement last week with various countries, including the United States, to express its “deep rejection” of the repression against protesters and to make an “urgent call” for the authorities of the country to end the violence and release those detained, including representatives of the opposition.
In the same vein, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, has announced this Friday that the EU will also not recognize Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela until the electoral minutes are handed over and can be verified. In a statement collected by agencies on the occasion of the closing of the course at the International University Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP) in Santander, the head of European diplomacy emphasized that “until we see a result that can be verified, we will not recognize it.”
The twenty-seven Member States of the EU will establish a common position on Venezuela next week, when the Council of Foreign Ministers meets, he announced. Borrell insisted that “everyone has to be able to verify the outcome of an election. “This has not yet occurred and we have practically lost hope that it will happen,” he acknowledged.
Source: Infobae
creditos de las imagenes de este post: n.com.do
