Colombia’s request to Venezuela: ‘Reject violence and preserve peace’ after elections

The Colombian government on Monday urged Venezuelans to “reject violence” and “preserve peace” following Sunday’s presidential elections, after The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner, a victory questioned by the opposition and much of the international community.

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“The Government of Colombia urges the Venezuelan people, their political leaders and their authorities to reject violence, preserve peace, prioritize transparent and guaranteeing dialogue among all sectors in search of institutional and democratic agreements in the face of the current electoral situation in the country.“, the Foreign Ministry said in a message published on X.

The message was published after thousands of citizens took to the streets in Venezuela to protest against the results announced by the CNE, which give President Maduro 51.2% of the vote.

(See: Chaos in Venezuela: Are statues of Hugo Chavez and Chavismo being torn down?).

Dozens of soldiers fired tear gas and pellets at protesters and arrested around twenty of them, while protests and mobilization of people continue in various parts of Caracas, according to the agency. EFE.

The protesters, who maintained a peaceful action until they were attacked by the security forces, have been affected by the gases released, while local media have shown some people injured by the pellets.

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“Colombia, as part of the international community, will be ready to support the efforts necessary to guarantee peace, stability and the deepening of democracy in the region.“, the Andean country’s Foreign Ministry added in its message.

Until nowPresident Gustavo Petro has not commented on the elections on Sunday, but its chancellor, Luis Gilberto Murillo, He called for “so that, as soon as possible, the total counting of the votes, their verification and independent audit can be carried out“.

“The electoral results of such an important day must have all possible credibility and legitimacy for the good of the region and, above all, of the Venezuelan people.“Murillo said in X, where he added that”The international community and the Venezuelan people hope that transparency and electoral guarantees will prevail for all sectors.“.

(See: Maduro government to withdraw Venezuelan diplomatic personnel from seven Latin American countries).

EFE