Reactions to the announcement that President Nicolas Maduro has won his third term in Venezuela illustrate deep global divides. Venezuela’s electoral authority announced on Monday that Maduro received 51 percent of the votes. However, the opposition claims that their candidate, retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, garnered approximately 70 percent of the votes. The electoral authority has yet to release official voting data from Venezuela’s 30,000 polling stations, which hampers the opposition’s ability to verify the results.
Reactions to the reported results have been swift. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns” that the announced result does not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people. “It is critical that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, that electoral authorities immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay,” he stated.
The British government also voiced concern over allegations of “irregularities” in the vote count. The Foreign Office called for the quick and transparent publication of complete, detailed results to ensure that the outcome reflects the votes of the Venezuelan people.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was also quoted saying it is important to ensure full transparency in the electoral process. In a post on platform X, he noted that the Maduro regime must understand that the announced results are difficult to believe.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced via a post on X that Chile will not recognize any unverifiable results. Peru has also been critical, with Foreign Minister Javier Gonzales-Olaechea condemning the “endless irregularities aimed at fraud” committed by the Venezuelan government.
The Colombian government has called for “total vote counting, verification, and independent auditing as soon as possible,” while Argentina’s President Javier Milei stated that the country will not recognize “another fraud” and expressed hope that the armed forces will protect democracy.
In contrast to the Western alliances, several other countries have extended their congratulations to Maduro. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russia-Venezuela relationship is characterized by a strategic partnership, while China also congratulated Maduro on his “successful re-election” and offered to strengthen their strategic partnership.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed support for Maduro’s victory, recognizing that “the people’s voice and the revolution have won.” Former President Raul Castro also spoke with Maduro to congratulate him, according to Diaz-Canel’s officials.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro and Bolivian President Luis Arce also expressed their support for Maduro, stating their hope to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation with Venezuela.
As Venezuela faces an uncertain future, the international reaction to the election continues to reflect deep divisions among nations. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops once the electoral authority publicly discloses the voting data.