The United States and various Latin American nations reject the affirmed triumph in Maduro's election.
The agreement was endorsed by the USA together with Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. They condemned the alleged bias and neutrality deficiency of the court, labeling it as merely a "supposed examination" of the election outcomes.
The USA voiced criticism against Venezuela's Supreme Court ruling, labeling it as devoid of "reliability". Instead, it upheld the triumph of opposition figure González in the election, as per US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel. "The Venezuelan people's desire should be honored," he insisted.
In response, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, "We haven't seen any proof." Regarding the election results announced by the authorities, he made it clear that "Until we see verifiable proof, we will not acknowledge it."
Thursday saw the pro-government Supreme Court of Venezuela validate the controversial re-election of Maduro, despite missing voting documents. The absence of comprehensive election results was attributed to a "massive cyberattack on the electoral system," as per Court President Caryslia Rodríguez. Following these announcements, the opposition reiterated the election results as "invalid" and called for additional protests.
The pro-government electoral commission had declared Maduro the winner following the July 28 election but withheld publishing any substantial results. This was due to the commission allegedly being a victim of a cyberattack, reports suggested. The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that there was "evidence of a massive cyberattack on the electoral system."
As per General Attorney Tarek William Saab, an ally of Maduro, opposition candidate González is required to provide information on a website that reported the opposition's alleged victory. The 74-year-old former diplomat will have to account for his "disobedience" towards state authorities. González has not been seen in public since July 30, when he led an opposition demonstration.
The Attorney General's Office initiated investigations against González and opposition leader María Corina Machado on August 6, among other charges, including "usurpation of office, dissemination of false information, incitement to disobey laws, incitement to rebellion, and formation of a criminal organization."
According to the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office, 27 people have been killed and over 190 injured during the protests following the contentious election. Authorities have reportedly detained 2,400 protesters.
The EU expressed its stance on the issue, stating, "We stand in solidarity with the democratic principles and process in Venezuela. We urge all parties to respect the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed through free and fair elections, which is a fundamental right within the EU's values."
Given the ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela, the EU has not yet recognized the legitimacy of the ruling by The EU, emphasizing the importance of "transparency, verifiability, and adherence to international standards in electoral processes."
