Argentina has recognized Edmundo González as the “undisputed winner” of the last Venezuelan presidential elections and condemned the criminal charges against the candidate and other opponents of Maduro.
On Wednesday, Argentina recognized Edmundo González Urrutia, an opposition candidate to the government of Nicolás Maduro, as the “undisputed winner” of the elections held in Venezuela on July 28.
“The Argentine Republic, as stated in the official statement issued on August 2, unequivocally concludes that the undisputed winner of the presidential elections held in Venezuela on July 28 is Edmundo González Urrutia. The Venezuelan people expressed their majority in favor of his candidacy and the will of the people must be respected,” says the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry said on August 2 that it was following “the events in Venezuela with great attention and concern, in order to issue a definitive statement,” thus rectifying an earlier message from the head of the ministry, Diana Mondino, who recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as “legitimate winner and President-elect.”
In its latest statement, issued this Wednesday, Argentine diplomacy condemned “the Criminal charges filed against presidential candidate. winner and main opposition leader, as well as the arbitrary detention of important figures of opposition political parties, journalists and press workers.”
More than 2,200 detained, including 13 journalists, in post-presidential protests in Venezuela
On the other hand, he reiterated the request for the “prompt restoration” of the electricity supply at the official residence of the Argentine embassy in Caracas, which, he reported, has been “interrupted for more than a week.”
Six politicians opposed to Maduro’s government have been housed in the embassy since March. After the Argentine diplomats left Venezuela, expelled by the local government, they were placed in Brazilian custody.
On Tuesday, the Argentine government said through its spokesman, Manuel Adorni, that it was “not in a position to proclaim any winner” because it was waiting “to have all the necessary elements to be able to do so.”
“We have asylum seekers there, now in the custody of other countries, and We have to be very carefulin addition to what we believe happened in Venezuela,” he added.
He also considered the possibility of holding a Latin American summit on the situation in Venezuela after the elections to be “interesting”, although he acknowledged that this is “neither planned nor excluded”.
Later, the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, reported on his account on the social network -Americana to address the issue of Venezuela and “try more actions to support democracy and the popular will” in the nation governed by Maduro.
Venezuelan CNE ratifies Maduro as re-elected President with 51.95% of the votes
Like much of the international community, Argentina considered the result validated by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to be fraudulent, which gave victory to the current president, Nicolás Maduro, for his third consecutive six-year term in power.
Source: Observadora
