Canada Denounces Repression in Venezuela, Says Opposition ‘Appears to Have Won’

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 1, 2023. Pedro Rances Mattey/AFP via Getty Images

After Venezuela’s opposition candidate was forced to flee the country, Canada condemned Venezuela for not publishing the results of the July election, adding that the results appear to show that the opposition party won.

“In a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek refuge outside his or her homeland,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly said in a statement on Sept. 9.

On July 28, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his opposition rival Edmundo González both claimed victory following a presidential election. While Maduro has been officially declared the winner, several countries like the United States, Chile, Peru, Italy, and Canada have expressed concern over the legitimacy of the results. Other countries such as China, Russia, and Cuba have congratulated Maduro on his victory.

Maduro was declared the winner with 52 percent of the vote compared to González’s 43 percent, but the electoral council has not published proof of the results. The Associated Press conducted an analysis of the tally sheets published by the opposition that showed González received significantly more votes than the government claimed.

Protests have erupted in Venezuela after the country’s National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner with 6.4 million votes and González with 5.3 million votes.

Joly said Canada “deplores” the Venezuelan National Electoral Commission’s not publishing the official result, despite many countries calling for it to do so. She said Canada is concerned with González being forced to flee the country.

Joly also condemned the Venezuelan government for revoking the protected status of the Argentine embassy in Caracas, which is currently holding some team members of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was previously banned from running in the election “under false pretenses,” said Joly.

“This unacceptable turn of events underscores the urgent need for an environment in Venezuela where democratic engagement can flourish without fear of reprisal,” she said.

Since the election, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to denounce the results, which has led to security forces firing tear gas and rubber bullets and making numerous arrests. Joly said Canada “unequivocally condemns the ongoing and escalating repression,” in the country, which has led to dozens of deaths and more than 2,000 “arbitrary” detentions.

While a previous statement by Joly on Aug. 5 said evidence suggested that the election results “don’t reflect the will of the Venezuelan people,” it fell short of claiming that González had won.

While Venezuela was one of the most developed economies in South America thanks in part to its large oil reserves when Maduro’s United Socialist Party took power in 2013, the country has since seen a shrinking of its GDP and massive hyperinflation, while over 7.7 million people have fled the country.

The Venezuelan government has also been said to be harassing and intimidating journalists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and political opponents, according to Human Rights Watch.