EU Countries Demand Transparency in Venezuelan Election

Seven European Union countries, including Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, call on Venezuelan authorities to publish electoral rolls to ensure transparency. This follows accusations of fraud after President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner with 51% of the vote. Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claims a 67% win.

Seven European Union countries, including Italy, France, Germany, and Spain, have urged Venezuelan authorities to publish the electoral rolls for full transparency regarding last weekend's election, the Italian prime minister's office announced on Saturday.

Venezuela's electoral council declared President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51% of the vote. This declaration has led to immediate fraud accusations from the opposition, who claim opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez likely received 67% of the vote.

The joint statement by the seven EU countries echoes mounting international criticism of the Venezuelan government's election handling. Some nations, including the United States and Argentina, have recognized Gonzalez as the legitimate winner. Last week, G7 foreign ministers showed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and expressed concern over the disputed election results.

The statement from the seven EU nations, which also included Portugal, the Netherlands, and Poland, called on Venezuelan authorities to immediately publish the voting registers for transparency and integrity in the electoral process. The opposition claims it has already collected and published over 80% of the electoral registers from each polling station, asserting this verification is crucial for recognizing the Venezuelan people's will.

(With inputs from agencies.)