Peru says it is imperative to stop all threats in Venezuela’s elections

The Peruvian government on Saturday called on the Venezuelan government and electoral authorities to ensure the right of its citizens to vote, and in this regard, stated that it is “imperative and immediate” to cease “all threats, harassment, repression and arbitrary detentions” against the candidates in the elections on July 28.

In an official statement, the government of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said it is closely following the presidential elections in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

He stressed that Peru believes that every electoral process must be guided by the principles of “universality, freedom, equality and transparency.” In this regard, he expressed his “deep concern” about the circumstances that threaten its integrity and transparency.

In this context, the South American nation called on the government and electoral authorities of Venezuela to fully comply with the Barbados Agreements and to ensure that the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the highest international standards, with respect for the right to vote and democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

For this reason, the Boluarte government stressed that “it is imperative and immediate to cease all threats, harassment, repression and arbitrary detentions.”

Likewise, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry reiterated its call to ensure a truly democratic and transparent election, in a statement released by the Peruvian Foreign Ministry.

The majority opposition in Venezuela denounced “attacks” and a “persecution” against it, with dozens of “arbitrary” arrests, multiple “obstacles” on roads, closure of businesses that have served opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia or anti-Chavez leader María Corina Machado and retention of work equipment.

The vast majority of traditional pollsters – except for the pro-government Hinterlaces – predict a wide victory for former ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia, the standard-bearer of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the largest anti-Chavez coalition, in the elections in which he will face Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is seeking a third consecutive term.

On Friday, during a campaign rally in the northwest of the country, Maduro announced a “closing campaign offensive” for the elections, in which he will seek a third consecutive six-year term in power, and said that the 28th will be “a great and blessed day,” when – he said – the electoral body will announce his “victory.”

Lima / EFE