US has 'serious concerns' over announced result of Venezuela elections: Blinken

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US has “serious concerns” over the result of the presidential elections in Venezuela, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Blinken said: "We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."

"It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that the electoral authorities publish the detailed tabulation of votes," he said.

"The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly," he added.

The top diplomat said the US applauds the Venezuelan people for their participation in the election, and commends "their courage and commitment to democracy in the face of repression and in the face of adversity".

White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson also said the results do not reflect Venezuelan people's votes.

"We are concerned the partial results released by Venezuelan electoral authorities don’t reflect the people’s votes & call for the release of full, detailed results for transparency. We will hold judgement until then.The U.S. & int’l community are watching," Watson wrote on X.

Maduro, 61, secured 51% of the vote against 44% by opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, according to the National Electoral Council. The results, however, have been disputed by the opposition.

In his victory speech, Maduro, who won a third term, said his reelection would bring peace and stability.