By Deutsche Welle
Sep 25, 2024, 01:47 AM EDT
The Colombian Senate has approved a motion urging President Gustavo Petro to “publicly recognize” Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections, held on July 28.
The document, approved by 48 votes, urges Petro to “publicly recognize the true winners of this electoral process, who do not correspond to the current regime of Nicolás Maduro.”
“It is public knowledge that the elections in Venezuela have been the subject of complaints of fraud, intimidation and repression of the opposition. In light of this, it is imperative that the Government of Colombia adopt a clear and firm position in favor of democracy, aligning itself with the countries that have already rejected the fraudulent results,” the proposal added.
Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE) based on results that are still unknown in a disaggregated form.
“A coherent action”
Meanwhile, the majority opposition grouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) claims the “victory” of its standard-bearer, González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.
“The Senate reiterates that the recognition of the legitimate results is not only a sign of support for democracy in the region, but also an action consistent with the principles of Colombia’s foreign policy, committed to the defense of human rights and the rule of law,” the congressmen stated.
Last week, the Colombian House of Representatives also approved a proposal asking Petro to recognize González Urrutia’s victory.
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia try to mediate the crisis
The Colombian president and his Mexican and Brazilian counterparts have tried to mediate in the crisis that Venezuela has been experiencing since the electoral body announced Maduro’s disputed victory.
Neither of these countries has yet recognised Maduro’s victory, but neither have they opted for González, the opposition candidate, and are calling for the election results to be published and for opening avenues for dialogue between the two parties.
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