Marking One Month Since Venezuela’s Presidential Election

In the month since Venezuelans went to the polls, Nicolás Maduro and his representatives have tampered with the results of that election, falsely claimed victory, and carried out wide-spread repression to maintain power.  The United States applauds the courage and resilience of the millions of Venezuelans who voted and who continue to peacefully call for Maduro to acknowledge that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes.  In spite of repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community, the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) has failed to substantiate its announced results by producing original tally sheets, as it did following the 2013 and 2018 elections.  The CNE’s ongoing refusal to uphold international and Venezuelan standards of transparency or to respect the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls is an unacceptable violation of Venezuela’s laws, as is the attempt by the Maduro-controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to silence the voices of the Venezuelan voters by ratifying the CNE’s unsubstantiated announcement of a Maduro victory.  In contrast, earlier this week, one of Venezuela’s own CNE rectors confirmed that Maduro has provided no evidence that he won this election.

Instead of responding to the Venezuelan people’s demands for transparency and democracy, Maduro has ratcheted up repression through politically targeted threats, unjust and indiscriminate detentions, and censorship in a desperate attempt to hold onto power by force.  Maduro’s actions have exacerbated the Venezuelan crisis and left him increasingly isolated from the international community.  The United States and international partners have called out Maduro and his representatives for their actions since the election:

• The Organization of American States adopted a resolution by consensus on August 16 calling for transparency, impartial review, and protection of electoral integrity, in line with the region’s commitment to uphold the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
• The United States, EU, and more than 20 governments signed a joint statement August 16 in the Dominican Republic calling for electoral transparency in Venezuela.
• The United States joined ten regional partners in issuing a joint statement on August 23 condemning the TSJ’s decision to certify the CNE’s claim Maduro won.
• The United States joined with other nations August 28 to call a special session of the OAS Permanent Council to address the human rights impacts of the electoral crisis.

The United States repeats its call for a return to the respect of human rights and democratic norms in Venezuela, the release of all political prisoners, and an end to the arbitrary arrests and other acts of repression against members of the democratic opposition, media and civil society. Venezuelans have voted, the results are clear, and their will must be respected.