Regional Leaders Press for Transparent Disclosure of Venezuelan Election Results
Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia—nations aligned with the progressive arc of Latin America—coordinated a call for the National Electoral Council to publicly release the results of the July 28 presidential election, which confirmed Nicolás Maduro’s victory. They urged that the ballots be made public and broken down by voting center, insisting that records be published at the most granular level possible. The opposition forces backing Edmundo González Urrutia echoed this demand, arguing that the tally should be transparent and verifiable. The European Union and the United States also joined in this appeal.
They also offered a subtle rebuke to a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice, viewed as an extension of Maduro’s government, to intervene in the electoral process. The three countries reminded observers that the CNE is the lawful body responsible for the transparent publication of election results. This stance underscored growing public tensions between the Maduro government and the governments of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, highlighting divergent regional positions among leaders like Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Gustavo Petro, as well as the Palacio de Miraflores. Maduro’s camp has, at times, referred to opponents as engaging in a “cowardly left” that lacks broad international backing.
Moreover, the document called on political and social actors in Venezuela to exercise utmost caution and restraint in both public spaces and discourse. The insistence on upholding human rights for demonstrators was framed as a fundamental prerequisite that should prevail in every circumstance.
Despite the absence of positive signals on the horizon, the foreign ministries of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia affirmed that talks will continue at high levels between the involved parties. They reiterated their willingness to back ongoing dialogue efforts and sought to facilitate a constructive process toward understanding.
Machado Urges Mexico to Lead More Open Communication
María Corina Machado, a leading opposition figure, urged Mexican President López Obrador to maintain direct channels with the Miraflores government so that the election results can finally be acknowledged. She argued that Mexico bears a significant responsibility to convey to Maduro that he lost the vote and must respect the will of Venezuelans. In Machado’s view, the priority is for Maduro to grasp that a negotiated transition represents the most viable path forward for Venezuela.
The Carter Center’s Position
The Maduro administration continued to mobilize its base, despite a wave of international statements that did not endorse another term for Maduro. Jennie Lincoln, head of the Carter Center’s observer mission in the recent elections, stated that there was no evidence to support government claims that Venezuela’s electronic voting system had been compromised. The Carter Center’s analysis relied on data and assessments from multiple organizations and universities to verify the reported results, suggesting that González Urrutia’s victory could be confirmed through independent review.
The Government has cited the Carter Center as an observer body, a role it has previously fulfilled. In recent remarks, Lincoln argued that the available numbers, when reviewed in cooperation with other institutions, supported the announced outcome. She emphasized that the Carter Center’s assessment did not align with Maduro’s government narrative, which had framed the situation as a potential electoral irregularity and a justification for withholding detailed results from the public.
Yvan Gil, Venezuela’s foreign minister, criticized the Carter Center’s stance, accusing the organization of aligning with conspiratorial plots against Maduro. He described Lincoln’s statements as partisan and praised the sanctions regime that has affected many sectors of life in Venezuela. In turn, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the international diplomatic community to defend the government’s position and reiterated the impact of the sanctions on the country’s economy and society.
In this broader context, observers and international commentators continue to debate the integrity of the electoral process and the legitimacy of the results, while regional actors seek a pathway for dialogue and reconciliation that could ease political tensions and prevent further polarization.