Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are involved with diplomatic efforts to get Maduro to release results

Several countries in the region are making diplomatic efforts to persuade Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to release the voting records from the election in which he was declared the winner, despite complaints from the opposition claiming victory for itself and growing calls for an independent review of the results.

Diplomatic efforts are being handled by officials from the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, who have been in constant contact with the Maduro administration to convince it that the data from Sunday’s vote should be made public and that impartial verification should be allowed. This was indicated on Thursday by a member of the Brazilian administration to The Associated Press.

The Brazilian official pointed out that the only way that can clear up doubts about the elections in which Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral CouncilThe official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to make public statements about the diplomatic efforts that are taking place.

Another Mexican official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the three governments have discussed the issue with Venezuela but did not provide further details.

By mid-afternoon on Thursday, the three countries sent a joint statement In this document, without referring to the diplomatic efforts made, they once again appeal for the “public disclosure of the data broken down by voting table”.

They stress that disputes over the electoral process must be resolved “through institutional channels” and that the “fundamental principle of popular sovereignty must be respected through impartial verification of the results.”

In addition, the statement issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on political and social actors to “restrain their demonstrations” to avoid an escalation of violence.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, for her part, said in an opinion piece published by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal who is in hiding for fear of her life and freedom. Neither Machado nor opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez have made public appearances since a rally on Tuesday on the streets of Caracas.

Earlier, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he planned to contact his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro. He also noted that it is important for his government that the electoral records be made available to the public.

After three days of pressure and international complaints about lack of transparency, On Wednesday, Maduro decided to charge the Supreme Court of Venezuela —pointed out for its closeness to the government— to carry out an expert appraisal of the electoral process. This approach was immediately questioned by international observers, who doubted that this judicial body could carry out such a review with real independence.

It is not known whether Maduro’s first concession to transparency demands was a result of talks with Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. The only thing the Venezuelan president confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday was that he had spoken with Petro about the issue.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court is closely aligned with Maduro’s government and is the same body that upheld the 15-year political ban that prevented Machado from running against the president in the election.

The judges of the Supreme Court are proposed by the Attorney General’s Office, the Ombudsman’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office and then ratified by the National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party.

Opposition candidate Edmundo González, Maduro’s main adversary in his bid for re-election for a third term, along with Machado, has assured in recent days that, with more than two thirds of the voting records that were printed on Sunday at the polling stations in his possession, The results show that Maduro lost the presidential elections.

The explanation offered by the Venezuelan president on Wednesday for the lack of public dissemination of the electoral records was that the National Electoral Council has been the target of attacks, including cyber attacks. But he did not go into detail.

The presidents of Colombia and Brazil, both allies of the Venezuelan government, have urged in their public statements Maduro to release the details of the vote count.

According to Brazilian officials, the diplomatic efforts being made are only focused on reaching a negotiated solution with the Venezuelan authorities regarding the election controversy. This involves the publication of the voting data and an independent verification of the results.

For his part, López Obrador called for there to be no violence after the elections and for the will of Venezuelans to be respected. He also urged “that evidence and the electoral results be presented.”

Pressure on Maduro has grown with the days since Sunday’s election.

The CNE, affiliated with the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, has not yet published the results of the voting records, as it did in previous elections. Its website has been down since at least Monday.

However, the electoral authority declared Maduro the winner early on Monday, reporting that he received 5.1 million votes (51.2% of popular support) compared to González’s 4.4 million (44.2%). But Machado later defended the fact that the voting records show more than 6.2 million votes for Edmundo compared to 2.7 million for Maduro.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and once boasted one of Latin America’s most advanced economies until it went into free fall when Maduro came to power in 2013. Plummeting oil prices, persistent shortages and hyperinflation that peaked at 130,000 percent led to social protests and mass migration.

More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014, the largest exodus of people in recent Latin American history.

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