By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - China pushed back Tuesday on efforts to call into question the outcome of presidential elections in Venezuela where Nicolas Maduro was reelected, according to Chinese state media.
“All parties should respect the choice made by the Venezuelan people,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
“We believe that the Venezuelan government and people have the capability to handle their internal affairs properly,” Lin added.
He was responding to statements by several Western nations, including the US, that criticized the accuracy of the results.
Maduro was reelected for a record third term, securing 50.2% of the vote, as president of the oil-rich South American nation in elections Sunday.
The polls remained peaceful but the results have triggered protests by opposition supporters in Caracas and other cities.
The Venezuelan government announced on Monday a diplomatic standstill with several countries in the region following the preliminary results.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado disavowed the results presented by the National Electoral Council and denounced alleged fraud. She said Edmundo Gonzalez won the elections with 70% of the vote.
Venezuela announced the withdrawal of all diplomatic staff from the embassies of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.
The move by Caracas came after those nations cast doubt on the election results.