Colombian President Gustavo Petro The two days of silence were completed without expressing any stance on the political crisis that has erupted in Venezuela and the serious complaints of electoral fraud committed by Nicolas Maduro to bring himself to power.
This fact has generated a wave of criticism from various world leaders and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the OAS, among others.
For example, the latter considered that The results of the Venezuelan election, in which the National Electoral Council declared incumbent President Nicolás Maduro the winner, cannot be recognized.
“Without providing details of the tables processed, without publishing the minutes and without only providing the total percentage of votes that the main political forces would have obtained. The CNE wrongly described these figures as ‘irreversible’. The figures published on the official channel also revealed arithmetical errors. The organization explained in a statement.
A man strikes a pot during a protest against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in Valencia, Carabobo state, Venezuela, July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. | Photo: AFP
Regarding the massive silence of President Gustavo Petro, highly placed sources in the Nariño House have indicated that in the last few hours, the Colombian president has opened a diplomatic channel with a group of allies.
These are Mexico, Chile, the United States and Brazil, with whom it is in constant contact on the Venezuela issue. In addition, The Presidential Palace has been told that the official channel on Colombia’s position regarding the Venezuelan elections is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President Gustavo Petro. | Photo: Presidency
On the other hand, Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo once again referred to the thorny issue of the neighboring country, insisting that the only way to legitimize the elections is to count “vote by vote.”
“That is what the chancellor expressed and that is what I expressed yesterday. That is the situation. I believe that the only way to guarantee coexistence and peace in Venezuela is to respect the results that reflect the will of the Venezuelan people on Sunday, with total transparency and clarity so that the process gains legitimacy,” Cristo said.
And a senior official in the so-called National Government of Change said: “A vote-by-vote count of what happened last Sunday in Venezuela would provide transparency and legitimacy. And we hope that the coexistence between government and opposition forces will continue and that the spirit of dialogue will prevail, which is best for the people of Venezuela.
It should be noted that The Colombian Foreign Ministry published a brief statement on the resolution of the contest on Sunday, July 28.
The office led by Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo urged that country’s political actors to reject violence and uphold it There are institutional ways to deal with the crisis that has arisen in that nation.
In the same communication, which was published on the X account of that ministry, he assured that the Colombian government is available to mediate in the situation that Venezuela is experiencing after the controversial elections.
“Colombia, as part of the international community, will be ready to support the efforts necessary to guarantee peace, stability and democratic deepening in the region”This was said from the Castle of San Carlos.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez greet their supporters during a protest against official election results declaring President Nicolas Maduro the winner, in Caracas. | Photo: AP
This is the second statement from the Colombian Foreign Ministry since, in the early hours of this Monday, just two hours after the National Electoral Council delivered the result of the contest, Foreign Minister Murillo called for all voices in that country to be kept at the center of the electoral process.
“Having maintained permanent contact with all the political actors involved in the presidential elections held in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and knowing the preliminary results reported by the National Electoral Council (CNE), “We consider it essential that the voices of all sectors be heard”The minister said in the early hours of Monday this week.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez greet their supporters during a protest against official election results declaring President Nicolas Maduro the winner, in Caracas. | Photo: AP
“The international community and the Venezuelan people expect that transparency and electoral guarantees will be maintained in all areas. It is important to remove any doubts about the results. This implies that international observers and observers present their conclusions about the process.”The person in charge of the foreign relations portfolio said.