Venezuela election results | Canada ‘gravely concerned’ by lack of transparency

(Ottawa) Canada is calling on Venezuelan authorities to release detailed results of its presidential election, after autocratic President Nicolás Maduro and his opposition rival both declared victory.

Nicolás Maduro, whose term since 2013 has been marred by an exodus of 7.7 million people fleeing hyperinflation and social unrest, suggested this month that a possible “bloodbath” would take place if he did not win the election by a wide margin.

After the vote, the electoral council run by Maduro supporters said he had won 51 percent of the vote.

Her main rival, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, was leading in polls heading into the election. But a month before the vote, authorities barred her from holding office because she had expressed support for U.S. sanctions against the country.

His successor, Edmundo González, took over where M^me Machado had stopped and campaigned on her platform. He said after the vote that his team had seen an overwhelming success in the vote count.

“Respect the will of the people”

On Monday afternoon, Global Affairs Canada called on Venezuelan authorities to “respect the will of the people” and quickly publish detailed results from all polling stations.

The Conservatives made similar demands in a statement released moments after the ministry’s social media statement.

“Canada should only recognize a democratic vote if it is truly free and fair,” wrote Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who rarely issues press releases on foreign policy.

“The Government of Canada must do everything in its power to support the Venezuelan people in their struggle for freedom and true democracy in their country,” he added.

Earlier Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Ottawa was partnering with like-minded countries on the issue, without specifying what that entailed.

“Canada has concerns about the election in Venezuela. Concerns that are shared by our democratic partners,” she told reporters at an unrelated news conference in Toronto.

“We salute the courage and resilience of the democratic opposition in Venezuela,” the minister continued. “It’s very difficult. You have to be very courageous to fight for democracy against an authoritarian regime, like what the Venezuelan people are doing. I want to tell them that Canada is there, that it supports Venezuelan democrats and that we will do so now for many years.”

M^me Freeland was foreign minister when, after the last presidential election in 2018, Venezuela’s parliament challenged the legitimacy of the vote and used a constitutional convention to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as president.

Canada and the United States were among the countries to recognize Mr. Guaidó’s legitimacy, but Mr. Maduro ultimately maintained his power.

Despite widespread protests against his administration since 2014, he has claimed he enjoys popular support that foreign governments have failed to undermine.

Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves and was once the most advanced economy in Latin America.

After Mr Maduro took charge, the country plunged into a freefall marked by collapsing oil prices, widespread shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation of 130,000%.

With information from the Associated Press