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Spain: Venezuela elections were not sufficiently democratic
The Government of Spain relied on the report of the European Union, and asserted that there are serious deficiencies in Venezuela
The Government of Spain ruled on the regional and municipal elections that took place in Venezuela on Sunday, November 21, where the official party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, won with 20 out of 23 governorships.
Through a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, last Wednesday, November 24, the Spanish government mentioned that "the regional and municipal elections held on November 21 in Venezuela have not met democratic expectations even assuming an improvement over previous calls ".
This statement was supported by the European Union report, which reported irregularities, so Spain was categorical in saying that "although there were improvements in the electoral process", compared to previous elections, on November 21 it was shown that they still persist serious shortcomings.
Spain called on the Venezuelan authorities to end practices such as: the arbitrary disqualification of opposition candidates to the government, abuse of State resources, among others, and to resume the path of dialogue with the opposition in order to guarantee that in presidential elections are free and competitive.
In the document, Madrid highlighted the participation of the opposition in the electoral contest, at the same time that it was willing to work with the electoral authorities of Venezuela "to comply with the recommendations" of the EU mission.
Venezuela responded
The Venezuelan government did not remain idle in the face of Spain's accusations, and also issued a statement through the Foreign Ministry, in which it indicated that it rejects the Spanish government's pronouncement.
He accused that the action of Spain is attached to responding to the interests of the United States, and urged the European country to rectify its position.
The complaint of the European Union
MEP Isabel Santos was in charge of presenting the European Union report on the elections in Venezuela, and pointed out that the country shows a lack of judicial independence, non-adherence to the rule of law and a lack of transparency in the elections.
He also denounced that the Venezuelan government delivered food combos, gas and water bottles during the electoral campaign, which put the opposition at a disadvantage, and also showed the advantage and diversion of resources to finance the campaign of the Chavista candidates.
The ruling party installed checkpoints, known in Venezuela as red dots, where leaders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela scan the voters' homeland card to register their participation and grant them economic bonuses.
The most serious part of the preliminary report presented in Caracas by Santos was the failure of the National Electoral Council to establish sanctions for the violations committed by the candidates, and stated that in the country there is a legal framework to punish those who break the law in the case of financing and advertising of the campaigns, which was where the infractions were evidenced.
United States and Canada reject Venezuelan elections
The Secretary of State of the U.S., Antony Blinken, asserted that the regional and municipal elections held in Venezuela were flawed and skewed the process with the aim of making the results benefit the candidates of the government of Nicolás Maduro, for which he maintained that the elections do not reflect the will of the people.
In Blinken's opinion, the Venezuelan regime altered the process "to determine the outcome of these elections long before the ballots were cast," and also denounced that the opposition was criminalized and disqualified political candidates who were adverse to the policies of the Maduro government.
Similarly, the US representative reiterated his recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela, while showing interest in the negotiation process.
For its part, the Canadian government was emphatic in classifying Venezuela's electoral process as fraudulent, since they consider that it lacks fair and transparent conditions for the Venezuelan people to obtain results attached to their will.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Mélanie Joly, through a statement said that this year, as in 2018 when Nicolás Maduro was reelected as president, there were no free and fair conditions.
Joly asserted that the Venezuelan regime continues with its policies of imprisonment and persecution of politicians who oppose the government.
Finally, he stated that Canada remains on the side of the Venezuelan opposition, and hopes that elections will be held in the country where the true wishes of the people are reflected, for which he pointed out that they will continue to demand that the South American country take carried out elections with conditions to trust.
