Nicolas Maduro's victory in the Venezuelan elections sparked mixed reactions from some countries, especially the United States, which expressed concerns about the validity of the results, while Peru announced the recall of its ambassador from Caracas for consultations, while the opposition announced the victory of its candidate in the elections.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that his country has serious concerns that the results announced by Venezuela’s electoral commission, which declared President Nicolas Maduro a third term, do not reflect the will of the people.
Just minutes after the commission declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election, Blinken interrupted his remarks at a meeting of Indo-Pacific nations to address the issue.
“We saw the announcement that the Venezuelan electoral commission made a short while ago. We have serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or the voices of the Venezuelan people,” he said.
He added on Monday that the international community is closely monitoring the matter and will respond.
“It is important that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, that election officials share any information promptly with the opposition and election observers without delay, and that electoral authorities publish a detailed vote count,” he added.
The electoral commission said Maduro won 51 percent of the vote, though multiple exit polls suggest the opposition candidate won.
The electoral commission is supposed to be an independent body, but the opposition says it works for the government.
Maduro pledges to provide "peace, stability and justice"
Nicolás Maduro pledged to provide "peace, stability and justice" in a speech to his supporters on Sunday evening after he was declared the winner of a third term in office in Venezuela.
"There will be peace, stability and justice. Peace and respect for the law. I am a man of peace and dialogue," Maduro said during a ceremony held in front of the presidential palace in Caracas, at the end of an election held in a tense atmosphere, during which the opposition spoke of intimidation and fears of fraud.
Peru recalls its ambassador from Caracas
For his part, Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier González Olacía announced the recall of his ambassador to Caracas after Maduro was declared the winner.
The minister said in a post on the X platform: "In light of the very serious announcements made by the Venezuelan electoral authorities, the immediate recall of the Peruvian ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for consultation has been arranged."
Venezuelan opposition claims election win
For its part, the Venezuelan opposition announced on Sunday evening that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, had won the presidential election with 70 percent of the vote, refusing to recognize the National Electoral Council’s announcement that Nicolas Maduro had won a third consecutive term.
“We won… we got 70 percent of the vote,” opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters, adding: “Venezuela has a new president-elect, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.”
Congratulations from China
In contrast to previous reactions to Maduro’s victory, China congratulated the president-elect on his re-election as Venezuela’s president, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“China is willing to strengthen our strategic partnership… to better benefit the people of both countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters during a press conference.
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