European Union announces it will not recognize ‘legitimacy’ of Venezuela’s president – Washington Examiner
The European Union announced it will not recognize the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following a controversial presidential election in which Maduro was declared the winner. European Union foreign ministers convened to discuss the situation, with Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, stating that the election results could not be verified. He emphasized that while Maduro may remain in power, the EU denies his democratic legitimacy due to the Maduro regime’s failure to provide credible evidence supporting his victory. The Venezuelan National Electoral Council, aligned with Maduro, announced his election result without presenting complete voting tallies, while opposition leaders, notably Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, claimed to have evidence indicating Gonzalez’s victory over Maduro.
European Union announces it will not recognize ‘legitimacy’ of Venezuela’s president
Foreign ministers in the European Union announced on Thursday they would not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s “democratic legitimacy.” The decision comes slightly over a month after Venezuela’s controversial presidential election, in which Maduro was declared the winner, even though the opposition candidate provided much evidence suggesting the country’s president was actually defeated.
“We cannot accept the legitimacy of Maduro as elected president,” said Josep Borrell, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. “He will remain president, de facto … But we deny democratic legitimacy based on a result that cannot be verified.”
Borrell’s statement came after a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, with foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 member countries, Reuters reported. He said the decision came after the country – and Maduro’s regime – failed to provide legitimate evidence that verified Maduro won July’s presidential election.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, a government office loyal to Maduro, declared him the winner of the recent presidential election despite not publishing completed voting tallies. Meanwhile, the country’s opposition party, led by Maria Corina Machado, presented evidence that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, defeated Maduro by a wide margin, the Associated Press reported. Since then, Machado and Gonzalez have balanced hiding from Maduro’s police by helping lead protests against Maduro.
Gonzalez participated in the meeting as well, connecting via video link, according to Reuters.
In response to the opposition to his election victory, Maduro has taken action to suppress dissent in his country by implementing authoritarian-type measures. Currently, it is believed nearly 1,800 people were arrested for participating in demonstrations in the country against Maduro and are being held as political prisoners, Reuters reported.
Despite the EU’s condemnation and rejection of acknowledging the legitimacy of the Maduro regime, such a declaration will have little impact on the country and not provide any meaningful efforts to help Gonzalez become president. According to Reuters, Borrell acknowledged this political reality on Thursday.
Nevertheless, he suggested the EU’s action sent a “strong statement” and was a suitable first step.
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