EU Rejects Venezuelan President Maduro’s Electoral Victory

The European Union declared on Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election last month 'cannot be recognized' due to the country’s electoral authority failing to produce the official voting records. The EU's stance came after the results published by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council on August 2 were called into question. The EU Council issued a statement saying, 'The results cannot be recognized. 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 the president-elect.

According to the EU statement, 'Copies of the electoral voting records published by the opposition, and reviewed by several independent organizations, indicate that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia would appear to be the winner of the Presidential elections by a significant majority.' The EU urged for further independent verification of the electoral records, preferably by an internationally reputable entity.

The EU also called on Venezuelan authorities to end arbitrary detentions, repression, and violent rhetoric against opposition members and civil society, and to release all political prisoners."