European Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday they would not recognise the "democratic legitimacy" of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro following the country's disputed election, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a rally to celebrate the results of last month's presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela August 28, 2024. Reuters/Fausto Torrealba
European Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday they would not recognise the "democratic legitimacy" of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro following the country's disputed election, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Borrell said the ministers made the decision after Venezuela's national electoral body repeatedly failed to heed calls to provide credible data to support Maduro's claims of victory in last month's election.
"We cannot accept the legitimacy of Maduro as elected president," Borrell told reporters after a meeting of foreign ministers from the EU's 27 member countries in Brussels.
"He will remain president, de facto ... But we deny democratic legitimacy based on a result that cannot be verified."
Venezuela's electoral council proclaimed Maduro, in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election but has not published complete voting tallies. The opposition has published tallies showing a landslide win for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.
Gonzalez took part in the EU ministers' meeting via video link.
Borrell acknowledged Thursday's decision would not have any immediate practical consequences as the EU has not imposed any sanctions over the election.
But he said the move was a "strong statement" by the EU, which represents some 450 million people.
Borrell - a former Spanish foreign minister - has repeatedly urged the release of voting records, as well as the end of political persecution and dialogue between opponents, prompting Maduro to criticize him during rallies.
Protests since the vote have led to at least 27 deaths. Human rights group Foro Penal says some 1,780 people are being held as political prisoners, including 114 adolescents. Several opposition leaders have been detained.
Reporting by Inti Landauro, Emma Pinedo and Andrew Gray
The sun is setting in Pálpite, a small town on the edge of Cuba's vast Zapata Swamp, when suddenly the road swarms with activity. But not with the red land crabs that once attracted hundreds of thousands of tourists annually to one of the island's top eco-tourism destinations.
Nearly half of Peru’s official vote count remained outstanding on Monday as frustration grew over widespread disruptions to Sunday’s general election, with conservative Keiko Fujimori in the lead and a June runoff increasingly likely.
Benin's finance minister Romuald Wadagni was expected to coast to victory in a presidential election on Sunday, buoyed by strong economic growth and the absence of a credible challenger amid mounting fears over jihadist violence.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.