The governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico released a joint statement this Thursday (1st) asking that the impasse over Venezuela’s elections be resolved through institutional channels. The statement also reinforced the position of the three countries that the data from last Sunday’s (28) elections should be released by polling station. 
“Disputes over the electoral process must be resolved through institutional means. The fundamental principle of popular sovereignty must be respected through the impartial verification of the results,” the text states.
The document was published after a telephone conversation this afternoon between the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Colombia, Gustavo Petro; and Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The governments of Latin American countries also stated that they continue to monitor the vote counting process “very closely.” “We call on the Venezuelan electoral authorities to move forward quickly and publicly disclose the data broken down by polling station,” they stated.
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia called on all political and social actors to exercise caution and contain their demonstrations and public events to avoid further violence. “Maintaining social peace and protecting human lives must be the priority concerns at this time,” they said.
The heads of state concluded the statement by saying that they have “absolute respect for the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people” and that they are willing to support “efforts for dialogue and the search for agreements that benefit the Venezuelan people.”
Since the National Electoral Council (CNE) gave victory to Nicolas Maduro Last Sunday, the opposition accused the process of fraud and protests were recorded in the country with at least 12 deaths, more than a thousand arrests and dozens of injuries, including more than 80 military or police officers, according to data from the government itself and the Venezuelan non-governmental organization Foro Penal.
OAS
The joint statement comes a day after the three countries failed to endorse the resolution voted on by the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS). The Council rejected – by a difference of one vote – the text that called for the “immediate” publication of the electoral records on the result of last Sunday’s election.
The resolution also called for full verification of the results to be allowed in the presence of independent observation organizations “to ensure the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the election results.”
The Itamaraty press office explained that, in addition to Venezuela not being a member of the OAS, the government decided to abstain because it is Venezuela itself and its laws that define how the results are verified, and it is not up to the OAS to define which independent observation organizations should witness such verification.
Already the Mexican government sent a statement reporting that the OAS does not have the necessary impartiality and balance to discuss the issue of Venezuela and that there is a lot of interference in the country’s internal processes.
“Before knowing the results, the director of the OAS, [Luis] Almagro had already recognized one of the candidates, without any proof of anything. Why are we going to a meeting like this? This is not serious, it is not responsible and it does not help to find a peaceful and democratic solution”, said President López Obrador in a press conference this Thursday (1st).
Of the 34 member states of the organization, 17 voted in favor, leaving just one vote missing to approve the resolution. Voting in favor were the United States, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Suriname and Uruguay.
On the other hand, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Grenada, Honduras, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda abstained. Mexico, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were absent from the vote.
