TOKYO – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has “serious concerns” about the announced outcome of Hotly contested presidential elections in Venezuela which authorities say was won by the current Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking in Tokyo on Monday, shortly after the announcement was made, Blinken said the US was concerned that the result reflected neither the will nor the votes of the Venezuelan people. He called on election officials to publish the full results transparently and promptly and said the US and the international community would respond accordingly.
“We saw the announcement a short time ago by the Venezuelan Electoral Commission,” he said. “We have serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people.”
“It is essential that all votes are counted in a fair and transparent manner, that electoral authorities share information immediately with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that electoral authorities publish the vote count. The international community is watching this closely and will respond accordingly,” Blinken said.
In Venezuela, the announcement of Sunday’s election results was delayed for several hours, and the National Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro supporters, said Maduro secured a majority without releasing the poll results.
The opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, was prevented from running. But she said after the council’s announcement that opposition candidate Edmundo González’s margin of victory was “overwhelming” based on vote counts she received from campaign officials at about 40% of polls nationwide.
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