The European Union has stated that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s contested re-election last month “cannot be recognised” due to the failure of the country’s electoral authority to produce official voting records.
The EU Council said in a statement: “The results published by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council on August 2 ‘cannot be recognised. Any attempt to delay the full publication of the official voting records will only cast further doubt’ on their credibility.”
Unlike the United States and several other countries, the EU has not recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect. However, the EU statement noted: “Copies of the electoral voting records published by the opposition, and reviewed by several independent organisations, indicate that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia would appear to be the winner of the Presidential elections by a significant majority.”
The EU called for further independent verification of the electoral records, stating: “The European Union thus calls for further independent verification of the electoral records, if possible by an internationally reputed entity.”
Additionally, the EU urged Venezuelan authorities to end human rights abuses, saying: “The European Union calls on Venezuelan authorities to put an end to arbitrary detentions, repression and violent rhetoric against members of the opposition and civil society, and to release all political prisoners.”
