Bogota Colombia.- Colombian President Gustavo Petro insisted on non-interference in the results of the Venezuelan presidential elections, which are under numerous international questions.
“It is not a foreign government that should decide who is the President of Venezuela,” Petro posted on his social media account X.
The statement came in response to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has denounced alleged fraud in the elections, disputing the figures released by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) – controlled by the ruling party – which give Nicolas Maduro the victory with 51 percent of the votes compared to 44 percent for the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
For Petro, a close ally of Maduro, it is up to Venezuelans to reach a “political agreement to end the violence in their country and establish a transparent way to advance a vote count with guarantees for all.”
Machado responded to the Colombian President on the same social network that the “people of Venezuela have already decided” and urged him to consult more than 80 percent of the electoral records that the opposition claims to have in its possession and according to which González would have won the elections.
After coming to power two years ago, Petro reestablished diplomatic relations with Venezuela, recognizing Maduro as the legitimate president of that country. His predecessor, Iván Duque (2018-2022), was a harsh critic of Maduro and joined the group of countries that recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as President.
Following the silence following the presidential elections in Venezuela, Petro publicly referred to the elections in that country and asked Maduro to allow a “transparent scrutiny” in view of the “serious doubts that have arisen around the electoral process.”
Colombia abstained from voting on a resolution by the Organization of American States (OAS) that urged Venezuela’s electoral authority to immediately publish the results of the vote.
Colombia argued that it does not consider the OAS to be the appropriate forum to address issues related to Venezuela, a country that unilaterally withdrew from the organization. It added that the Colombian government has held talks with Brazil and Mexico to “create the necessary conditions and seek an agreement” in Venezuela.
The presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia are scheduled to hold a call on Thursday to discuss the situation in Venezuela, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced this morning.
“We are going to discuss the positions that exist in the case of Venezuela,” he said. “We have acted prudently so as not to get involved in an issue that fundamentally concerns Venezuelans.”
López Obrador reiterated that what Mexico is proposing is “first, that there be no violence; second, that the will of the Venezuelan people be respected; third, that evidence and the electoral results be presented; and fourth, that there be no interference.”
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