Following the country’s presidential election, Nicolás Maduro was elected to a third term as head of state and authorities announced a crackdown on protesters.
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal expressed their “deep concern over the situation that has arisen after the presidential elections in Venezuela” and called on the country’s government to publish the voter list as the population is unhappy with the victory of President Nicolás Maduro.
“We call on the Venezuelan government to immediately publish all accounts in order to fully guarantee a transparent and fair electoral process,” the seven European Union states said in a joint statement.
The document cites information that the Venezuelan opposition has collected and announced more than 80 percent of the ballots filled in at all polling stations. “This inspection is necessary to recognize the will of the Venezuelan people,” the European leaders said.
The statement also condemned “any arrests” of Venezuelans who expressed the will of the people and called for the right to “peaceful demonstrations and free assembly” to be respected.
Nicolás Maduro was elected to a third term in office after Venezuela’s presidential election, and officials announced a crackdown on protesters. In a speech to supporters, Maduro said 2,000 people had been arrested during the protests. He promised to send those caught to maximum security prisons in Tokoron and Tokuyitu. “This time there will be no mercy,” Maduro threatened.
On the same day protests erupted across the country, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has been in hiding for several days under threat of arrest, addressed a rally in the Venezuelan capital. He said opponents of the Venezuelan government have never been stronger than now and the regime has never been weaker. “We will not leave the streets,” Machado said.
Presidential elections were held in Venezuela at the end of July. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announced that incumbent President Nicolás Maduro was re-elected for a third six-year term with 51.2 percent of the vote.
The opposition claims that the election results were falsified. 17 people, including a military officer, were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters against the election results.
