Blinken: U.S. Has ‘Serious Concerns’ That Venezuela Election Results Don’t Match ‘The Votes’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced concern over the authenticity of Venezuela’s presidential election after the country’s electoral commission declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner.

Speaking Monday in Tokyo at a meeting of Indo-Pacific nations, Blinken expressed skepticism about the reliability of the official results out of Venezuela shortly after the commission proclaimed Maduro had won.

“We’ve seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken said.

“It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and electoral observers without delay, and that the electoral authorities publish detailed tabulation of votes,” he added. “The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly.”

???? #Venezuela: Statements by Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, on the announcement of Nicolás Maduro's victory pic.twitter.com/LWTRADkmVd

— VOZ (@Voz_US) July 29, 2024

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, controlled by the socialist Maduro regime, announced after hours of delay early Monday morning that Maduro had won the national election with 51.2 percent of the vote. Maduro’s chief opposition, Edmundo González, had lost with 44.2 percent.

The commission refused to release tallies from polling booths, and the announcement brought widespread skepticism from opposition parties in Venezuela and leaders around the world. The election was plagued with irregularities and widespread potential violations of law, according to The New York Times.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was blocked from running in the election, called the official election results “impossible.” She said that voting tallies obtained from about 40 percent of polling places across the country showed an “overwhelming” amount of support for González, whose campaign was run by Machado.

Maduro celebrated the electoral commission’s announcement, declaring victory amid questions surrounding the election’s results.

“In this new term that you have given me, I pledge that I will put my life on the line to transform Venezuela and lead us toward a prosperous future of economic growth, peace and social happiness,” Maduro told reporters at the Miraflores presidential palace, according to NPR.

The 61-year-old Maduro, whose presidency began in 2013, has served two terms in the high office and looks to serve another. He is facing mounting pushback from around the world, however, as Latin American leaders line up against him. The presidents of Argentina, Chile, and Brazil have called for him to step down in the wake of the election.