(Reuters) – Leaders across the Americas 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 which 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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
U.S. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, BEFORE RESULTS
“The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected. Despite the many challenges, we will continue to work toward a more democratic, prosperous, and secure future for the people of Venezuela.”
JOINT STATEMENT BY FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, PERU, ECUADOR, PANAMA, COSTA RICA, GUATEMALA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, BEFORE RESULTS
“We consider it indispensable to have guarantees that the electoral results will fully respect the popular will expressed by the Venezuelan people at the polls. This can only be achieved through a transparent vote count, which allows the verification and control of observers and delegates of all the candidates.”
(Reporting by Sarah Morland and Raul Cortes; Editing by Michael Perry)
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