Chairs of foreign affairs committees: Venezuelan people cannot be silenced by fraud

TALLINN – The chairs of foreign affairs committees from the United States and 15 countries of Europe have issued a joint statement in which they condemn the actions of the Venezuelan government in proclaiming the results of the presidential elections and urge it to allow for verification of the electoral results.

The chairs refer to the available evidence and statements from independent electoral observers to declare in their statement that they do not recognize the National Electoral Council's (CNE) fraudulent declaration that Nicolás Maduro has won re-election.

"We strongly condemn the ongoing attempts in Venezuela to undermine the will of the voters and repress the Venezuelan people following Sunday's election," the Riigikogu press service said, citing the statement.

The statement calls on the Maduro regime to allow for transparent, independent verification of the electoral results immediately.

"The regime's deliberate efforts to undermine the country’s electoral process -- by failing to adhere to international standards of electoral integrity, restricting the freedoms of opposition political actors and the media, and harassing and intimidating those connected to the opposition’s campaign, as documented by the Carter Center’s electoral observation mission -- are unacceptable and must be condemned," it says.

The chairs emphasize that ending the violent repression of Venezuelans and the persecution of opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo González, and their teams is an urgent imperative, as is the urgent need for negotiations between the Maduro regime and Edmundo González to ensure a peaceful and democratic transition of power.

"Our governments are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, and will work together to hold Maduro accountable should he continue to disregard the democratic will of Venezuelan voters to steal yet another election," the statement reads.

The statement evokes the fact that the democratic opposition had released an estimated 80 percent of the paper vote tallies from across the nation, revealing a resounding electoral victory for Edmundo González.

"This data is a representation of the voices of the Venezuelan people -- voices that cannot be silenced by fraud or intimidation. The National Electoral Council’s refusal to provide transparent documentation only deepens the crisis of legitimacy surrounding the Maduro regime. It is critical that these voices, so clearly and courageously articulated through the ballot box, are honored, and that the democratic process in Venezuela is fully restored," the signatories add.

The statement has been signed by the chairs of the foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of Armenia, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and the United States. The chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Riigikogu, Marko Mihkelson, signed the statement on behalf of Estonia.