María Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American congresswoman, has sent a powerful message to Venezuela's Defense Minister, General Vladimir Padrino López, urging him to honor the will of the people and acknowledge the opposition's victory. "You hold the future of Venezuela's freedom in your hands. Imprisoning María Corina Machado and Edmundo González or deploying tanks against your own people, who are merely demanding respect for the election results, is a grave mistake that will cost your children, grandchildren, and future generations," stated the Florida representative.
Salazar emphasized that the only honorable course of action is to heed the neighboring countries, including the United States, which demand that Nicolas Maduro's regime "disclose the vote counts or concede victory to the opposition." "Listen to the voice of your Venezuelan people, stand on the right side of history, do what is right for your benefit and that of your future generations, beyond the benefit it will bring to the deserving Venezuelan people to whom you belong," the congresswoman asserted.
These statements come amid a rising climate of instability in Venezuela. Early Monday, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that Maduro had won the election by just over 704,114 votes against González Urrutia, the candidate of the majority opposition coalition, with 20% of the tally sheets still uncounted. This translates to 2,394,268 votes, the fate of which remains unknown and could potentially alter the final results.
Additionally, María Corina Machado, from the opposition alliance, claimed that González Urrutia won the presidency by a wide margin and created a website where she uploaded 73% of the electoral records to support her claim. Following intense criticism over the apparent election theft and after several governments recognized González Urrutia as the rightful president-elect, Nicolás Maduro demanded that countries such as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay withdraw their "representatives from Venezuelan territory."
According to an official statement, Maduro also decided to "withdraw all diplomatic personnel from missions" in these seven Latin American countries that criticized his dubious re-election. The Venezuelan people continue to take to the streets, demanding that Maduro step down and respect the election results.
Key Questions on the Venezuelan Election Crisis
In light of the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela, many are seeking answers to crucial questions regarding the election controversy and its broader implications.
What did María Elvira Salazar urge General Vladimir Padrino López to do?
María Elvira Salazar urged General Vladimir Padrino López to honor the will of the Venezuelan people, respect the election results, and acknowledge the opposition's victory.
Why is there controversy over the Venezuelan election results?
The controversy stems from the National Electoral Council's announcement of Maduro's victory with 20% of the votes still uncounted, and the opposition's claim that their candidate, González Urrutia, won by a significant margin.
What actions has Nicolás Maduro taken in response to international criticism?
Nicolás Maduro has demanded that several countries withdraw their representatives from Venezuela and has decided to recall all diplomatic personnel from missions in those countries that criticized his re-election.