McCaul, Cardin, Chairs of European Foreign Affairs Committees on Attempts to Undermine Venezuelan Elections

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) joined the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of Armenia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine in issuing a historic joint statement on Venezuela’s disputed presidential election reported by Reuters. 

“As Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of our respective national parliaments, we strongly condemn the ongoing attempts in Venezuela to undermine the will of the voters and repress the Venezuelan people following Sunday’s election. Based on the available evidence and statements from independent electoral observers, we do not recognize the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) fraudulent and unverifiable declaration that Maduro won re-election as a legitimate representation of the Venezuelan people’s will.

“We call on the Maduro regime to allow for transparent, independent verification of the electoral results immediately. The regime’s deliberate efforts to undermine the country’s electoral process — by failing to adhere to international standards of electoral integrity, restricting the freedoms of opposition political actors and the media, and harassing and intimidating those connected to the opposition’s campaign, as documented by the Carter Center’s electoral observation mission—are unacceptable and must be condemned.

“Ending the violent repression of Venezuelans and the persecution of opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo González, and their teams is an urgent imperative strongly shared by all of us, as is the urgent need for negotiations between the Maduro regime and Edmundo González to ensure a peaceful and democratic transition of power. Our governments are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, and will work together to hold Maduro accountable should he continue to disregard the democratic will of Venezuelan voters to steal yet another election.

“Amid this struggle, the democratic opposition has released an estimated 80% of the paper vote tallies from across the nation, revealing a resounding electoral victory for Edmundo González. This data is a representation of the voices of the Venezuelan people—voices that cannot be silenced by fraud or intimidation. The National Electoral Council’s refusal to provide transparent documentation only deepens the crisis of legitimacy surrounding the Maduro regime. It is critical that these voices, so clearly and courageously articulated through the ballot box, are honored, and that the democratic process in Venezuela is fully restored.”

###