Venezuela has broken diplomatic ties with seven Latin American countries that questioned the legitimacy of the US Embassy in Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro wins the electionExpelling their diplomatic missions and recalling their staff from those countries.
Maduro’s Foreign Minister Ivan Gil ordered the immediate return of diplomatic personnel from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, citing “interventionist acts” by these countries.
“Venezuela reserves all legal and political rights to implement, protect and defend its inalienable right to self-determination,” the Maduro government said in a statement, according to news agency Xinhua. The Miami Herald“We will oppose all actions that threaten the atmosphere of peace and coexistence.”
The move comes after these countries expressed concern over the results of Sunday’s presidential election, in which Maduro won with 51.2 percent of the vote, according to the regime-controlled Electoral Council.
Disputed elections
Opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia and his coalition dispute the official results, claiming he received 73.2 percent of the vote.
Urrutia’s ally and opposition leader María Corina Machado argued that a review of voting records showed he had a “mathematically irreversible” lead, with 6.27 million votes to Maduro’s 2.75 million. associated Press informed of.
Protests and unrest
Thousands of Venezuelans take to the streets to protest They called it a stolen election and chanted “Azadi, Azaadi!” and “This government is about to fall!” Security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
The opposition has vowed to continue challenging the election results, claiming they were marred by fraud and political intimidation.
Regional divisions
The diplomatic outcome has exposed deep divisions in Latin America, with some countries supporting Maduro’s government while others reject the election result.
The “very serious” results announced in Venezuela led Peru to recall its ambassador from Caracas, while Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chávez rejected what he called “fraudulent” results.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric called Maduro’s win “hard to believe”, while Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo demanded an “independent investigation” into the results. Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Maielli wrote on social media: “Dictator Maduro, out!!!”
On the other hand, allies Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Honduras have congratulated Maduro on his victory.
International response
The United States, Britain and the European Union have expressed concerns over the legitimacy of the election and called for transparency and a fair vote count.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the announced result “does not reflect the will or vote of the Venezuelan people.”
However, Russia and China have congratulated Maduro on his victory.