EU Declares Nicolás Maduro Lacks Legitimacy as Venezuela's President-Elect

 

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced that the EU no longer recognizes Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president-elect, citing a lack of credible evidence supporting his victory in the recent election. This decision follows a virtual meeting between EU foreign ministers and Edmundo González, the opposition candidate widely believed to have won the 28 July vote.

"The European Council decided that Maduro has no democratic legitimacy as president," Borrell stated, highlighting that Maduro’s refusal to publish detailed election results undermines his claim to victory. Since Venezuela’s electronic voting system was introduced in 2004, election tallies have typically been published, but Maduro has not released any data to substantiate his win.

"Without verification of the vote tallies, we cannot accept Maduro’s legitimacy as Venezuela’s president-elect," Borrell told reporters in Brussels. "He will remain president de facto, but we deny democratic legitimacy based on results that cannot be verified."

Although the EU has not formally recognized González as the president-elect, Borrell acknowledged that opposition data shows González received “much bigger support” than Maduro.

Tensions have escalated in Venezuela following the election, with fears of increased repression against opposition figures. González’s main ally, opposition leader María Corina Machado, expressed concerns that González’s home could be raided by security forces. Prominent opposition figures, including politician Biagio Pilieri and lawyer Perkins Rocha, have reportedly been detained amid a post-election crackdown that has seen over 1,600 people arrested.

The EU has called on Maduro’s government to cease its crackdown on opposition members, civil society, and journalists, and demanded the release of all political prisoners. However, concerns remain that the repression will worsen following the appointment of Diosdado Cabello, a hardline figure within Maduro’s political movement, as the new interior minister. Cabello’s new role grants him control over the national police and intelligence services, raising fears of intensified crackdowns on dissent.