Poland is among seven EU member states that have appealed to Venezuela to publish its voting records following its controversial presidential election.
The long-standing president Nicolas Maduro declared victory following the vote on July 28, but the opposition has disputed the official result, claiming that it was its own candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, that won a landslide.
On Saturday, leaders of Poland, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal, issued a joint statement calling on Venezuelan authorities to promptly publish electoral documents to guarantee “the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”
"This verification is essential for the recognition of the will of the Venezuelan people", the statement read.
On Friday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) rubber-stamped Maduro’s re-election.
According to CNE, which is pro-Maduro, the president had scored 52% of the vote after 97% of votes had been counted. Gonzalez, meanwhile, had polled 43%.
However, opposition politician Maria Corina Machado has revealed that her associates managed to seize files from the electoral commissions that prove that Gonzalez actually won 73.2% of the vote.
As the wrangling continues, violent anti-government protests have swept the country with demonstrators demanding Maduro’s resignation.
The unrest shows little sign of abating. As of Saturday afternoon, one NGO, Foro Penal, placed the death toll at 21.
On Saturday, leaders of Poland, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal, issued a joint statement calling on Venezuelan authorities to promptly publish electoral documents to guarantee “the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”
"This verification is essential for the recognition of the will of the Venezuelan people", the statement read.
On Friday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) rubber-stamped Maduro’s re-election.
According to CNE, which is pro-Maduro, the president had scored 52% of the vote after 97% of votes had been counted. Gonzalez, meanwhile, had polled 43%.
However, opposition politician Maria Corina Machado has revealed that her associates managed to seize files from the electoral commissions that prove that Gonzalez actually won 73.2% of the vote.
As the wrangling continues, violent anti-government protests have swept the country with demonstrators demanding Maduro’s resignation.
The unrest shows little sign of abating. As of Saturday afternoon, one NGO, Foro Penal, placed the death toll at 21.
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