Caracas, Aug 4 (EFE).- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Sunday that the European Union (EU) and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, are a “disgrace,” after the community bloc expressed that it “follows with concern the events” in the Caribbean nation.
“The European Union is making a fuss, the same European Union that recognized (Juan) Guaidó, the European Union is a disgrace, Mr. Borrell is a disgrace, he is a disgrace who led Ukraine to war and now he washes his hands,” said the president at an event with the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB, militarized police).
Maduro criticized the EU for asking Venezuelan authorities to respect the protests that have taken place since Monday in rejection of the official results published by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which declared the president the winner.
“Now you say that in Venezuela there is repression of peaceful demonstrations, says Mr. Borrell. Peaceful? When do they attack the population, hospitals, CDI (Comprehensive Diagnostic Centers), schools, bus units, subway stations?” he questioned.
The EU on Sunday called for “greater independent verification of electoral registers” following the vote on 28 July.
“Reports from international election observation missions clearly state that the presidential elections of 28 July did not meet international standards of electoral integrity,” the EU said in a statement.
The European body urged the electoral body to publish the official minutes of the voting tables, since “without supporting evidence, the results published on August 2 by the CNE cannot be recognized.”
On Friday, the CNE offered a second and final report, so far, in which it confirmed Maduro’s victory and reelection with 51.95% of the votes, while – it assured – Edmundo González Urrutia obtained 43.18% of the votes, with 96.87% of the votes counted, which have not yet been published.
Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado insisted on Sunday that the minutes of the voting witnesses in “more than 80% of the tables and available at resultsconvzla.com, leave no room for doubt. Edmundo González Urrutia is the president-elect of Venezuela.” EFE
