(Reuters) – Leaders across the Americas and beyond reacted to Venezuela’s electoral authority’s announcement just after midnight on Monday that President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term in office, despite multiple exit polls that pointed to an opposition win.
U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN
“We’ve seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”
CHILE PRESIDENT GABRIEL BORIC
“Maduro’s regime must understand that the results are hard to believe. The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency … From Chile we will not recognize any result that is not verifiable.”
EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
“The people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers. Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital.”
COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LUIS GILBERTO MURILLO
“After maintaining permanent contact with all political actors involved in the presidential elections…We consider it essential that the voices of all sectors be heard. It is important to clear any doubts about the results… We call for the total vote count, its verification and independent audit to be carried out as soon as possible.”
URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT LUIS LACALLE POU
“Not that way! It was an open secret. They were going to ‘win’ regardless of the actual results. The process up to election day and counting was clearly flawed. You cannot recognize a triumph if you can’t trust the forms and mechanisms used to achieve it.”
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
“Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership. I am confident that your activities at the head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all directions. I would like to confirm our readiness to continue our constructive joint work on topical issues on the bilateral and international agenda. Remember that you are always a welcome guest on Russian soil.”
PERUVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JAVIER GONZALEZ-OLAECHEA
“I condemn in all extremity the sum of irregularities with the intention of fraud committed by the Venezuelan government. Peru will not accept the violation of the popular will of the Venezuelan people.
“The Peruvian ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been immediately recalled for consultations.”
PANAMA PRESIDENT JOSE RAUL MULINO
“Panama joins the generalized rejection of the electoral result. We aspired for the popular will to be respected and such situation was ignored.”
“We will act individually and collectively in favor of Venezuelan democracy. We will announce measures that we will adopt in accordance with Inter-American rules in the coming hours.”
ECUADOR FOREIGN MINISTRY
“Ecuador rejects the lack of transparency in the elections. The absence of guarantees in the process of publication of results, which reflect the will of the Venezuelan people, delegitimize” the results.
“Ecuador calls on the international community to ensure that the Venezuelan government fully and transparently verifies the elections, with the participation of impartial international observers.”
GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT BERNARDO AREVALO
“Venezuela deserves transparent, accurate results that adhere to the will of its people. We receive the results announced by the CNE (electoral authority) with many doubts. This is why electoral observation mission reports are essential, and today more than ever, must defend Venezuelans’ votes.”
COSTA RICAN PRESIDENCY
“The Government of Costa Rica categorically rejects the proclamation of Nicolas Maduro as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which we consider to be fraudulent. We will work with the continent’s democratic governments and international organizations so that the sacred will of the Venezuelan people is respected.”
CUBAN PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL
“Nicolas Maduro, my brother, your victory, which is that of the Bolivarian and Chavista people, has cleanly and unequivocally defeated the pro-imperialist opposition. They also defeated the regional, interventionist and Monroist right. The people spoke and the Revolution won.”
Former president Raul Castro spoke with Maduro over the phone to congratulate him, Diaz-Canel’s office said.
HONDURAN PRESIDENT XIOMARA CASTRO
“Our special congratulations and Democratic, Socialist and Revolutionary greetings to the President Nicolas Maduro and the brave people of Venezuela for their unobjectionable triumph, which reaffirms their sovereignty and the historical legacy of the Commander Hugo Chavez.”
BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE
“We have closely followed this democratic festival and we welcome the fact that the will of the Venezuelan people at the polls has been respected. We want to ratify our willingness to continue strengthening our ties of friendship, cooperation and solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER ALBARES
“The democratic will of the Venezuelan people must be respected with the presentation of the minutes of all the polling stations to guarantee fully verifiable results. We ask that the calm and civility with which the election day took place be maintained.”
NICARAGUA PRESIDENT DANIEL ORTEGA
“Saluting the great victory… To you Nicolas President, to Cilia, to the PSUV, to the youth, and all Venezuelan families, our tribute and greetings, in honor, glory and for more victories.”
ARGENTINE PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI, BEFORE RESULTS
“Argentina will not recognize another fraud, and hopes that this time the Armed Forces will defend democracy and popular will.”