American and Brazilian Presidents Joe Biden and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called on Venezuela to release "full, transparent and detailed voting data at the polling station level" as tensions over the tainted elections continue to escalate.
Many eyes are on Brazil, a key power broker in the region, over the influence it can have on the government. "The two leaders shared the perspective that the Venezuelan election outcome represents a critical moment for democracy in the hemisphere, and they pledged to remain in close coordination on the issue," the White House said in a statement following the conversation.
The readout comes as several countries have refused to recognize the results announced by the government-friendly electoral council, which proclaimed President Nicolás Maduro as the winner without providing supporting documentation.
In a previous statement, the White House added that having the documents is "especially critical given that there are clear signs that the election results announced by Venezuela's National Electoral Council do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people as it was expressed at the ballot box on July 28."
"We are also reviewing other electoral data shared by civil society organizations and the reports of international election monitors. The United States stands on the side of the democratic aspirations of the Venezuela people, including supporting their right to express their views freely and without reprisal," the statement concludes.
The United States has been closely monitoring Venezuela’s presidential election that took place on Sunday, July 28 and the subsequent announcements by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 30, 2024
We continue to call for Venezuela’s electoral authorities to release full, transparent,…
The region's main power brokers when it comes to Venezuela -Brazil, Mexico and Colombia- have also called for the documents to be duly published. The opposition, in the meantime, claims it does have most of the documents, which show an overwhelming victory.
"We now have a way to prove the truth about what happened in the elections," said opposition leader María Corina Machado, who along with presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia have been leading protests throughout the country. "All the records, as we receive them, are verified, digitized, and placed on a robust web portal."
Tensions continue running high in Venezuela, as police represses protesters. At least 11 people have been reportedly killed, while hundreds have been arrested, including political figures.
In the meantime, President Nicolás Maduro asked the judiciary to act against Machado and González Urrutia. And two other top figures gave inflammatory speeches on Tuesday packed with more clear threats.
Jorge Rodríguez, head of the National Assembly, was the first one to speak, saying that legal actions must be taken against opposition leaders. He specifically named Machado and González Urrutia as figures who should be imprisoned for their roles in what he described as a "fascist conspiracy:"
Shortly after Rodriguez ended his speech, came Diosdado Cabello, the prominent Chavismo leader, who echoed his predecessor 's threats warning of imminent arrests for opposition leaders, including Machado and González, asserting the government had incriminating communications.
"They're the same people from other occasions, but now there's going to be a difference: the same people are going to have to face justice," said Cabello.
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