WASHINGTON (EFE).- El Permanent Council of the Organization of American States The OAS approved by consensus on Friday a resolution demanding that Venezuelan authorities publish the minutes of the July 28 elections in that country “expeditiously.”
This call is echoed by the call made on Friday by the European Union and 22 other countries for the “immediate publication of all the original minutes” of the elections and the “impartial” and “independent” verification of the results of these elections. Mexico did not participate in any of these cases.
The non-binding OAS text was presented on behalf of the United States and co-sponsors Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Uruguay.
The resolution urges the National Electoral Council (CNE) to “promptly publish the minutes with the results of the presidential election vote at the level of each polling station” and “respect the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty through an impartial verification of the results that guarantees the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process.”
Minutes of the elections in Venezuela
The OAS resolution also highlights the importance of “protecting and preserving all equipment used in the electoral process, including all printed minutes and results, in order to safeguard the entire chain of custody” of said process.
It also calls for the protection of diplomatic facilities and personnel residing in Venezuelan territory, including persons seeking asylum in such facilities.
It also calls on the interested parties to “refrain from any conduct that could compromise the construction of a peaceful solution to this crisis, respecting the sovereign will of the Venezuelan electorate.”
On July 31, another resolution demanding the immediate dissemination of the electoral records failed in the Pan-American organization based in Washington.
That first text had 17 votes in favor, none against, 11 abstentions and five absences, so it did not achieve the absolute majority necessary to pass.
The phrase calling for “a comprehensive verification of the results in the presence of independent observer organisations to ensure the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the results” was broken off in the vote on that occasion. It was not included in the approved text.
Agreement in Santo Domingo
On Friday, around twenty countries and the European Union called on the Venezuelan government to “immediately” publish the results of the recent presidential elections and to respect human rights on the eve of protests called by the Venezuelan opposition.
In a joint statement whose content was released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the signatory countries, meeting in Santo Domingocalled for “broad, inclusive and good faith dialogue to facilitate a political agreement that fosters national reconciliation” and democracy in Venezuela and pledged to “support all efforts in that regard, always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution.”
Santo Domingo was the scene of the inauguration ceremony of President Luis Abinader for a second term in office, with the presence of heads of state and representatives from different countries. The countries that signed the declaration held a meeting within the framework of their presence in the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The manifesto includes nations from different continents. They are Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, Suriname, Portugal and Uruguay. It was also signed by the European Union.
Who won the elections in Venezuela?
The signatories called for independent verification of the results contained in the electoral records, preferably by an international entity. “Any delay in this happening calls into question the results officially published on 2 August 2024,” they said.
Read. Uncertainty in Yucatan due to the situation in Venezuela
Although the electoral authorities declared the President Nicolas Maduro winner of the July 28 election, have yet to present a detailed vote count to back up that claim. However, the opposition revealed that it collected tally sheets from more than 80% of the 30,000 electronic voting machines showing that Maduro lost by a margin of more than 2 to 1 to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
In another part of the declaration, the countries asked the Venezuelan government to respect the “fundamental freedoms” of the population and “the right to demonstrate peacefully and to exercise freedom of expression.” In this regard, they expressed their concern because the reports of arbitrary detentions in Venezuela without due process are “alarming” and they called for the “immediate release” of those arrested.
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2024-08-27 04:38:16
