The results of Venezuela’s presidential election, officially won by President Nicolas Maduro, “cannot be recognized”, the European Union has said.
“Despite having undertaken to do so, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has still not published the official minutes from the polling stations. In the absence of evidence to support them, the results published by the CNE on August 2 cannot be recognized,” the EU Council said in a statement.
Unlike the United States and several other countries, however, the EU is refraining from recognizing the victory of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
“Copies of the electoral minutes published by the opposition and reviewed by several independent organizations indicate that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia appears to have won the presidential election with a substantial majority,” the statement says.
“The European Union therefore calls for a new independent verification of the electoral registers, if possible by an internationally recognized entity”, the statement adds.
The EU also calls on the Venezuelan government “to put an end to arbitrary arrests, repression and violent rhetoric against members of the opposition and civil society, and to release all political prisoners”.
