Maduro Fails to Win Recognition From Key Ally Petro in Colombia

(Bloomberg) -- Colombia’s leftist leader is urging Venezuelan authorities to allow for a verifiable vote count and international oversight of authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro’s self-proclaimed victory.

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In his first reaction to the disputed election, President Gustavo Petro — who has been aligned with the socialist administration in Venezuela on many issues — declined to recognize Maduro as the winner of Sunday’s ballot.

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“The serious doubts surrounding the Venezuelan electoral process could lead its people to a deep and violent polarization,” Petro said Wednesday in a lengthy post on his X account. “The counting of votes is the end of every electoral process; it must be transparent and ensure peace and democracy.”

Venezuela’s electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro appointees, said early Monday morning the incumbent president defeated opposition rival Edmundo González by a margin of 51% to 46% of the votes. González and banned candidate María Corina Machado, for whom he is standing in, immediately disputed that.

The opposition says it has now gathered 84% of voting tabulations to prove González is the rightful winner in Sunday’s election. The Carter Center, the sole observer of international repute that monitored the election, said late Tuesday the vote “cannot be considered democratic.”

Colombia’s interior and foreign ministers had previously said a thorough accounting of votes was necessary in the neighboring South American nation. But Petro’s reaction is crucial as he’s been one of the key players behind the scenes negotiating with Maduro, Venezuelan opposition parties and the US government to allow for what was supposed to have been a free and fair election.

Since taking office in 2022, Petro has visited Venezuela more times than any other country. In his post, he invoked the legacy of Maduro’s late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chávez, who pioneered the voting verification system that Venezuela’s opposition now says prove the regime is trying to steal the vote.

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“President Maduro has a great responsibility today, to remember the spirit of Chávez, and allow the Venezuelan people to return to tranquility while the elections end calmly and the transparent result, whatever it may have been, is accepted,” Petro said.

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