Kamala Harris urges military to protect Venezuelans in letter to opposition leaders

New York, Aug 23 (EFE).- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris sent a letter to opposition leaders in Venezuela in which she urges the military to protect citizensand the international community to pressure the electoral authorities to deliver the records showing that Nicolás Maduro won re-election in the elections last July.

The Democratic candidate for President in the November 5 elections warns that A militarized response will only lead to deepening the crisis facing the country. after the National Electoral Council (CNE) certified that Maduro had defeated Edmundo González Urritia, the opposition candidate, at the polls, according to the letter to which the Miami Herald newspaper had access.

“I strongly urge Venezuelan security forces to show restraint, respect the human rights and freedom of expression of all Venezuelans, and protect the Venezuelan people from political threats and attacks,” Harris said in the letter.

The vice president sent the letter last week to María Corina Machado y González, leaders of the opposition.

In it too asked the CNE to maintain “the highest levels of transparency” and the international community to pressure this electoral authority to publish the election results.

In her letter, the Democratic leader recalled that the violation of human rights and freedom of expression “only deepens the crisis and hinders efforts towards a peaceful and democratic transition.”

He pledged that in the US, “we will continue to encourage parties in Venezuela to begin discussions on a respectful and peaceful transfer of power in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law.”

The opposition in Venezuela has claimed victory at the polls, but despite intense protests in the country and calls from the international community, Maduro’s government has not published the minutes of the results to show that Maduro won re-election.

The opposition published its electoral records with more than 80% of the voting tables and which showed González’s defeat of Maduro by a margin of more than 2-1.

However, on Thursday the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), controlled by judges close to Chavez, confirmed the official results of the elections, which gave Maduro the victory, which has been accused of being fraudulent inside and outside Venezuela.

Protests following the elections have left around twenty dead.

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