SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile’s President Gabriel Boric said on Wednesday he does not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “self-proclaimed” victory in the country’s hotly contested election late last month.
The rejection of Maduro’s claim that he won the July 28 election by the center-left Boric echoes similar positions adopted by his counterparts across Latin America, including in Guatemala, Argentina and Peru.
Other governments, including regional heavyweights Brazil and Mexico, have instead opted to push for Maduro’s government to release full vote tallies, but it has so far failed to do so.
“I have no doubt that Maduro’s government has attempted to commit fraud in Venezuela’s election,” Boric told reporters, adding that the government would have released detailed election results if its victory was clear.
Boric stressed that he will only recognize results verified by independent international organizations, and he did not explicitly endorse Venezuela opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claim that he won.
The Chilean president also accused Maduro’s government of committing “serious human rights violations,” including the repression of the right to protest as well as the persecution of opposition leaders.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by David Alire Garcia)
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