G7 foreign ministers call for results to be published after Venezuela election
Following the controversial result of the presidential election in Venezuela, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries have expressed "serious concerns" about Nicolás Maduro's re-election and demanded a detailed publication of the election results. "We call on the relevant authorities to publish the detailed election results in full transparency," the ministers stated. They also called for "immediate access" to all information for the opposition and independent observers.
National and international observers have expressed "serious concerns" about the published results, the G7 ministers said. They expressed their "solidarity" with the population and called for a "peaceful, democratic" solution.
The largely pro-government election authority in Venezuela declared incumbent Maduro the winner of the presidential election on Monday, despite international criticism and fraud allegations from the opposition. Maduro received 51.2 percent of the votes, while the most promising opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, received 44.2 percent. The opposition also claimed victory.
The G7 countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy.
The G7 ministers further expressed their concern that the election results, as declared by the 'Other' election authority in Venezuela, do not fully reflect the will of the people. They urged for an 'Other' independent investigation into the election process to ensure fairness and transparency.
