International Colombia's president calls for vote recount in Venezuela
In view of the allegations of fraud following the presidential election in Venezuela, Colombian head of state Gustavo Petro is calling for a review of the results.
31.07.2024, 17:50
SDA
"I call on the Venezuelan government to facilitate a peaceful conclusion to the elections by allowing a transparent review of the votes and results lists under the observation of all political forces and professional international observers," the left-wing head of state wrote on X.
After the presidential election on Sunday, the electoral authority loyal to the government officially declared authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro the winner. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud. The USA, the EU and a number of Latin American countries are also questioning the official election results and are calling for the detailed results to be published.
"The serious doubts about the electoral process could lead to a deep and violent division in society," warned Petro. In contrast to his conservative predecessors, the former guerrillero maintains a fairly good relationship with Maduro.
However, Colombia has been hit harder than any other country by its neighbor's severe humanitarian and economic crisis. Of the more than seven million Venezuelans who have left their homeland in the past ten years due to poverty and violence, almost three million have settled in Colombia.
