While anti-government protests reign in the streets of Venezuela, the US says it is the “golden hour of democratic change.”
Maduro on the US: “This empire is used to violence”
The Venezuelan president said in a speech that the US government has attacked leaders not only in his own country but also in other nations. He said it first assassinated John F. Kennedy, then tried to assassinate Donald Trump and now wants to stage a coup in the Venezuelan government. He said:
John F. Kennedy – who killed him? The system. It’s been proven. We recently discussed the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. There are a lot of questions about who defended Donald Trump. How did they allow the shooter to stand there? There’s a lot of questionable points that they’re trying to cover up now. This empire is used to violence. We are ready for a scenario against Venezuela.
Earlier, Maduro said the unrest in Venezuela after the presidential election was financed by Elon Musk and the US government.
Venezuela will turn to Russia and China for help
The country will ask for help from Russia and China to assess the hacking attack on Venezuela’s electoral system, President Nicolas Maduro said.
At a meeting of the Council of State on Tuesday, it was decided to set up a commission to assess the attack, which damaged the electoral council’s communications system, with the help of Russia and China.
The president had previously reported that Venezuela’s electoral board system suffered a hacking attack during the elections. The government said other countries interfered in the election and in the right of the people of Venezuela to self-determination.
Venezuela breaks diplomatic relations with Peru
Venezuelan authorities have decided to sever diplomatic relations with Peru, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said. According to him, this happened against the background of statements by Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea, who did not recognise the official election results. Also on July 29, Venezuela announced the recall of its diplomats from Latin American countries that did not recognise the election results, including Peru. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister said in a statement:
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the Republic of Peru on the basis of Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.
Earlier, the authorities of Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic in a joint statement demanded a review of the results of the presidential election, which, according to Venezuelan authorities, was won by incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.
EU will not recognise Venezuela result until all votes counted
The European Union will not recognise Venezuela’s election results until all votes are counted and protocols are made available, amid international concerns about the integrity of the vote, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Venezuela’s electoral commission said President Nicolas Maduro won 51 per cent of the vote on Sunday to extend a quarter-century of socialist rule, even as opinion polls pointed to an opposition victory.
Mr. Borrell said the electoral commission announced the results based on 80% of ballots counted, while the Venezuelan opposition published very different results. He told reporters during a visit to Vietnam:
This is an additional reason not to recognise the results until they have been fully and independently verified.
Members of the 27-nation bloc will decide on possible next steps only after the full results are known, he added.
The Washington Post calls to “fight for democracy in Venezuela”
The long-running crisis in Venezuela has reached its climax. It demands urgent action from the United States and democracies around the world. In Sunday’s general election, the opposition led by Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina Machado won a convincing victory over President Nicolas Maduro, but he “fraudulently claimed victory.” This blatant attempt at electoral theft cannot stand aside, The Washington Post reports.
According to WP, now is “the golden hour of democratic change,” the moment after the votes have been cast but the theft of results has not yet taken hold. It should not be lost because of Mr. Maduro’s “lies and distractions.”
The US and all countries that value electoral competition, the rule of law and the democratic transfer of power have a responsibility to recognise that the opposition are the real winners and demand that Mr. Maduro submit to the will of the people. No temporary hesitation, no hope, no false negotiations. Protests of “grave concern” are not enough.
There are those in the US who hint that it would be better to agree to a Maduro power grab to ensure US access to Venezuelan oil. This would be a betrayal of principles, but also a misunderstanding of that country’s true economic interests – after all, it is now the world’s leading oil producer and can afford to do without the crude from Caracas.
The US and other democratic countries are heavily invested in a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela. In that sense, this election is stolen from them as well.
Thus, Washington is no longer even hinting, but directly talking about the need to intervene in Venezuela’s elections. It is not yet known whether this will be a political intervention or a military operation, but one thing is clear: a country that itself needs to establish order on the eve of elections is trying to interfere in the political device of another state for its own selfish motives, under the guise of defending democracy.
