A joint EU statement denouncing “irregularities” in Venezuela’s presidential election was blocked by Hungary, leading Josep Borrell to publish his own.
The European Union has joined the growing chorus of voices demanding greater transparency in Venezuela to ascertain the legitimate winner of the presidential elections held on Sunday, which Brussels considers “marred by numerous flaws and irregularities.”
However, calls for new sanctions are “premature” at this stage, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, insisting on the need to “find a way out of the political crisis.”
“The discussions among member states continue. We’re also engaged in interactions with partners, both at the national, regional and international level, to assess the whole process and decide potential next steps,” the spokesperson said.
“But any discussion, any decision regarding sanctions are being taken in confidentiality among the member states, so this is very premature.”
The National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by government allies, has declared incumbent Nicolás Maduro the winner of the race with 51.2% of all votes, followed by Edmundo González, the opposition candidate, with 44.2%.
But González and his political alliance, the Unitary Platform, have vigorously disputed the results, arguing the numbers released by the CNE do not match opinion polls and statistical estimates. The opposition says it has obtained 73% of the tally sheets showing González obtained 3.5 million more votes than Maduro.
“We have in our hands the tally sheets that demonstrate our categorical and mathematically irreversible victory,” González told supporters.
While the elections were hailed as one of the most peaceful in recent memory, the aftermath has grown increasingly tense, with protesters taking to the streets and clashing with the police. Opposition supporters saw Sunday’s ballot as the most credible chance to end 25 years of single-party rule.
Maduro has condemned the display of discontent, pointing the finger at the United States. “An attempt is being made to impose a coup d’état in Venezuela again of a fascist and counter-revolutionary nature,” the president said. “We already know this movie.”
Hungary’s veto strikes back
One point of contention is the CNE’s refusal to release detailed results from each precinct, which can be used to cross-reference the nationwide numbers.
In a statement on Monday evening, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, called on the CNE to “exercise maximum transparency in the process of results tabulation, including the granting of immediate access to the voting records of each polling station and the publication of disaggregated election results.”
“The results of the elections have not been verified and cannot be considered as representative of the will of the people of Venezuela until all the official records from polling stations are published and verified,” Borrell said.
“The EU appeals for calm and urges the security forces to ensure full respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly.”
The statement lists a series of “obstacles” and “unequal conditions” in the electoral process, such as arbitrary detentions and intimidation of opposition members, deficiencies in voter registration and imbalanced media access.
The text was originally intended to be signed by the 27 member states, but Hungary blocked the initiative, an EU official with knowledge of the discussions said. This led Borrell to release the statement on his own, speaking on behalf of the bloc.
An almost identical situation happened last month, when Hungary prevented the publication of a joint statement denouncing the Kremlin’s media ban.
The veto spells bad news for any future effort to strengthen sanctions against Maduro’s regime. The EU’s current penalties date back to 2017 and include a prohibition to export weapons and equipment used to repress street protests and the blacklist of 54 individuals accused of undermining Venezuela’s democracy and rule of law.
