Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right) gestures during a meeting with international monitors in Caracas, Venezuela. AP
Venezuela has severed diplomatic ties with seven Latin American countries that questioned the fairness of a presidential election that President Nicolas Maduro claimed was won. His rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, countered that he won the election, and the opposition claims they have evidence that Maduro lost the election and rigged it to declare himself the winner.
The election results drew strong reactions from many countries, with many questioning the results announced by Venezuela’s electoral commission, while Latin American countries faced an angry response from the Maduro regime.
The government decided to withdraw diplomats from seven Latin American countries that have questioned Maduro’s election victory: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.
The Maduro administration’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting the “interventionist actions and statements” of Latin American governments that signed a joint statement calling for a full review of the election results.
President Nicolas Maduro’s government also expelled diplomatic missions from seven Latin American countries that expressed concern about the results of the country’s presidential election, announced on Sunday.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil stressed that Venezuela reserves all legal and political rights to exercise and defend its inalienable right to self-determination. The government also stated that it will oppose any actions that threaten the peace and coexistence of the nation.
trigger
The controversy was sparked by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council’s announcement on Sunday that President Maduro had won against opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, despite independent exit polls showing him to have lost in a landslide victory.
According to the council, Maduro received 51.1% of the vote to González’s 44%, but opposition leaders and credible independents have reported that González received more than 65% of the vote.
Maduro’s re-election campaign for a third six-year term was marked by allegations of intimidation and fears of fraud by the opposition, who have accused the government of massive electoral fraud.
Officials from the exiled countries have voiced similar views, with some calling for a meeting at the Organization of American States to analyze the situation in Venezuela.
Find us on YouTube
subscribe
