Bogota Colombia.- Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a close ally of Nicolás Maduro, asked the Venezuelan leader on Wednesday to allow a “transparent scrutiny” of the elections.
“The serious doubts surrounding the Venezuelan electoral process could lead its people to a deep violent polarization with serious consequences of permanent division of a nation that has known how to unite many times in its history,” Petro said on his X account.
He asked that all political forces and international observers be allowed to carry out a “transparent scrutiny” of the vote count and the minutes.
Petro’s comment came hours after the Carter Center, a U.S. institution that evaluates elections, said it could not verify the results of the electoral authorities that gave Maduro the victory in Sunday’s elections, despite the opposition’s claims that there were irregularities and that they have proof of the victory of their candidate Edmundo González.
Petro said that “while this process is taking place, peace can reach the opposing citizen forces and stop the violence” and proposed “reaching an agreement between the Government and the Opposition that allows for maximum respect for the force that lost the elections.”
Upon 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 critical of Maduro.
“President Maduro has a great responsibility today… to allow the Venezuelan people to return to tranquility while the elections are concluded in peace and the transparent result is accepted, whatever it may be,” Petro wrote.
“The vote count is the end of every electoral process. It must be transparent and ensure peace and democracy.”
Maduro’s re-election is not supported by the opposition, which claims that its candidate Edmundo González won the election, and by several countries.
Petro’s statements follow those of US President Joe Biden and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who the day before urged Maduro’s government to immediately release “the complete, detailed and transparent election results.”
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