Latin American leaders react with mixed responses to Venezuela election results

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - After the results were announced by the Venezuelan electoral body, which declared Nicolas Maduro as the country's president, reactions were not long in coming. Some regional leaders applauded Maduro, while others rejected the results and called for independent audits.

According to the country´s electoral body, incumbent President Maduro obtained 51.2% of the votes, while the main opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, obtained 44.2%.

Bolivian President Luis Arce congratulated Maduro and celebrated that "the will of the Venezuelan people was respected at the polls."

"We have been closely following this democratic celebration and we welcome that the will of the Venezuelan people has been respected at the polls," Arce said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also congratulated Maduro on this "historic victory".

"Today the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people triumphed over pressures and manipulations," wrote the Cuban leader on X.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo sent a letter to Maduro, which was published by the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, in which they hailed the "great victory".

Honduran President Xiomara Castro congratulated Maduro on his "undisputed victory that reaffirms his sovereignty."

Chilean President Gabriel Boric also cast doubt on the results.

“The Maduro regime must understand that the results it publishes are difficult to believe,” he wrote on X, and made it clear that his country will not recognize data “that is not verifiable.”

"The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency of the electoral records and the process, and that international observers not compromised with the government account for the veracity of the results," he added.

The Costa Rican government said in a statement that it does not recognize Maduro's election, calling it "fraudulent" and saying it "repudiates" it.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said that his government is "very hesitant" to accept the results issued by the CNE.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed "serious concerns" about the election results.

"We have serious concerns that the announced result does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people. It is critical that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that electoral authorities publish the detailed tabulation of the votes," he said.