The victory granted to Nicolás Maduro by the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela, amidst all kinds of allegations of irregularities, becomes an immense challenge for Colombia. It is about defending democracy in the region, not legitimizing a fraud, and at the same time keeping a door open with a country with which it shares a vast border and multiple common interests. Any decision directly impacts the daily lives of thousands of Colombians. It is also a major challenge for an international community that has already tried everything.
The allegations about what happened in Venezuela are serious and numerous: citizens who faced difficulties voting inside and outside Venezuela, persecution of the opposition, obstacles for international observers to arrive, several hours of silence from the CNE, and delays in the delivery of results. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has said that they have 73.20 percent of the electoral records to prove that the clear winner was Edmundo González Urrutia.
Everything is shrouded in darkness, and it is evident that the international community must safeguard democracy, although the Venezuelan case has called into question the real effectiveness of the tools available to intervene in internal processes. Neither diplomatic condemnations, nor economic blockades, nor the rupture of relations have succeeded in generating any change in Venezuela. Neither have dialogues or the search for agreements. What path remains?
For now, the decision of many countries has been to apply pressure through diplomacy. As the hours go by, more and more voices are joining to demand transparency and for the electoral records to be shown to verify what happened at the polls. The United States, Chile, the European Union, and Brazil have expressed their doubts about the result in various ways. In a joint statement, the governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay also expressed their concern and demanded a complete review of the results. Venezuela responds by removing diplomatic delegations from the country.
President Gustavo Petro, who is usually very verbose, has remained silent in the first hours following the election day. The first statement from Colombia was made by Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, who expressed the need to clear doubts about the results and listen to the voices of all sectors. Clearly, the victory is not recognized, and a call for transparency is made. In a message on his X account posted in the early hours of Monday, the minister made “a call for a prompt total vote count, verification, and independent auditing.”
For Colombia, the situation is more complicated than for any other country because the ties with Venezuela are immense. The relationship has economic, political, strategic, and security importance. The consequences of the rupture of relations during Ivan Duque’s government, which opted for the international isolation of Maduro in the failed “diplomatic siege,” are still felt today. What was achieved with that decision was a significant negative impact on the economy of the border region, the growth of mafias that took over illegal crossings, and daily difficulties for families living in the area. The cost has been high, and Maduro remains in power. Colombia has also felt the impact of the massive migration of Venezuelans, a trend that may grow following the election results.
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As this column was being finalized, there were protests in several areas of Caracas and much anticipation for the demonstration called by María Corina Machado and Edmundo López to take to the streets this Tuesday. The situation is not easy, and what may happen in the coming hours is unknown. Many believe that the paths for a democratic exit are running out. The broken hope weighs heavily on a vast sector of Venezuelans who were betting on a different project after 25 years of Chavismo.
It is not easy for Colombia to face a critical situation like the one currently experienced in Venezuela. Diplomacy encourages keeping channels open in the midst of all circumstances, especially with so much at stake on this side of the border. However, doubts about the electoral process and the lack of transparency call for a clear and strong defense of democracy to avoid legitimizing a questioned regime that has complete control of the State, including the electoral authority. The future for Venezuela is uncertain. What lies ahead for Colombia is also not easy.
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