The embattled head of state faces domestic and international demands to release official data from the contested July 28 general election.
President Nicolas Maduro threatened Venezuela’s protesters and the international community on July 31, following five days of widespread civilian demonstrations that resulted in multiple police clashes, hundreds of arrests, and
reports of 16 deaths.
During a stern televised address, Maduro mentioned revolution and threatened the United States.
“We want to continue the road that [Hugo] Chavez started ... but if the American empire and the criminal fascists force us, I won’t hesitate to call the people to a new revolution with different characters,” Maduro
said. “If the empire wants to go forward in this criminal plan, we will defend our country.”
In the wake of the July 28 general election, residents took to the streets after Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE)
announced Maduro had won a third term in office. The embattled head of state has presided over the worst
economic crisis in the country’s recent history.
Videos of
protesters tearing down a statue of former President Hugo Chavez and fighting with security forces have prompted officials in the international community to urge Maduro to release official data and tally sheets from the election. The source of the demonstrations stems from opposition
supporters who say they have evidence that presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won the election.
The fiery strongman rhetoric was delivered amid mounting pressure from international officials asking that the CNE publish detailed vote counts as it has in previous elections.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro
asked Maduro’s administration to allow “a transparent scrutiny with vote counting, minutes, and oversight by all the political forces of your country and professional international oversight,” on the social media platform X.
Petro isn’t alone in trying to persuade Maduro to release election data. There are
reports that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador are also trying to coerce Maduro into publishing details of the voting.
U.S. President Joe Biden
expressed gratitude to the Brazilian president for his “leadership on Venezuela” in an official phone call on July 30.
During the discussion, the two heads of state agreed on the importance of “full, transparent, and detailed voting data at the polling station level by the Venezuelan electoral authorities.” Both shared the perspective that the Venezuelan election outcome is a “critical moment for democracy” in the Western Hemisphere.
In an Aug. 1 statement, the G7 foreign ministers of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the EU expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and asked for the release of election data.
“Independent domestic and international observers’ reports have raised serious concerns about the announced results of Venezuela’s presidential elections and about the way the electoral process was conducted, especially regarding the irregularities and lack of transparency in the final tabulation of the votes,” the joint
statement said.
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, also
questioned Venezuela’s election results and decried the “crimes against humanity” happening in Venezuela.
“Taking into account the status of the investigation of the court ... it is time to present charges of indictment against those most responsible, including Maduro,” Almagro stated.
Hammered on all sides, Maduro
ordered Venezuela’s supreme court to audit the country’s election results on July 31.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino assured Maduro of the full
support of the nation’s armed forces. In a televised statement, Padrino promised the military’s “absolute loyalty and unconditional support” amid the ongoing post-election protests.
