EU Withholds Recognition of Venezuela's Election Amid Integrity Concerns

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stated that the EU would not recognize Venezuela's election results until all votes were counted and records provided due to concerns over electoral integrity. This came after the election authority announced President Nicolas Maduro's victory with preliminary results, contradictory to exit polls favoring the opposition.

The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, declared on Wednesday that the bloc will refrain from recognizing the results of Venezuela's recent election until a full vote count and proper records are made available, in light of international concerns regarding the vote's integrity.

The electoral commission in Venezuela proclaimed President Nicolas Maduro as the winner with 51% of the vote, securing a third term in office, despite exit polls suggesting an opposition victory.

Borrell highlighted the discrepancy between the electoral commission's announcement, based on 80% of the ballots, and the vastly different figures published by the Venezuelan opposition. He emphasized the need for an independent verification of the results during his visit to Vietnam.

Members of the 27-nation EU bloc will determine their next steps once the complete results are disclosed. Meanwhile, protests erupted in Venezuela, with demonstrators urging Maduro to concede defeat. The government condemned the demonstrations as a coup attempt, while the U.S.-based Carter Center deemed the election undemocratic due to a lack of international electoral standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)