Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. “serious concerns” about the veracity of the presidential election results in Venezuela on Sunday, after President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner by the country’s electoral council.
Maduro claimed victory on Monday morning in an election he was expected to lose, while challenger Edmundo González said he had in fact won more votes, creating a conflict over the election results.
“We have serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken said in comments from Tokyo on Monday morning. “It is essential that all votes are counted fairly and transparently, that election officials share information immediately with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that election authorities publish detailed vote tallies.”
“The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly,” he added.
The Venezuelan electoral council said Maduro won 51 percent of the vote, despite several exit polls pointing to a victory for González and the opposition.
Maduro’s ruling party bused voters to polling places, opened some late and kept others open in efforts to manipulate the vote. The Associated Press reported. Street checkpoints limited travel and were used to intimidate those considering voting against Maduro in some areas of the country.
González said the results were clearly manipulated, in his first remarks after Maduro declared victory.
“Venezuelans and the whole world know what happened,” said González.
Maduro has accused unidentified foreign enemies of trying to hack the voting system.
“This is not the first time they have tried to violate the peace of the republic,” he told supporters at the presidential palace, promising “justice.”
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) reported called the election “the most predictable and ridiculous fraudulent election in modern history” shortly after Maduro was announced the winner.
Several foreign leaders also denounced the election results. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said the results were “difficult to believe,” while Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves categorically rejected Maduro’s alleged victory.
“We will work with democratic countries across the continent and with international organizations to achieve the respect that the Venezuelan people deserve,” Chaves he said.
If Maduro’s re-election is maintained, it will likely only worsen the exodus of Venezuelans from the country trying to escape his regime. Some 7.7 million have already left the country in search of opportunities abroad during Maduro’s first two six-year terms.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
