Carter Center denounces serious violation of electoral principles in Venezuela

The Carter Center questioned the legitimacy of the presidential elections held in Venezuela on July 28 and stated that the elections did not meet international standards of electoral integrity, which prevents them from being considered democratic.

"The Carter Center cannot verify or corroborate the authenticity of the presidential election results declared by the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela. The fact that the electoral authority has not announced results broken down by polling station constitutes a serious violation of electoral principles," said the institution in an official statement published on July 30.

Additionally, they indicate that the electoral process took place in an environment of restricted freedoms, affecting political actors, civil society organizations, and media outlets.

The electoral authority, according to the report, showed bias in favor of the ruling party, which harmed the opposition candidacies.

There is also a criticism of the update of the voter registry, pointing out numerous inconveniences such as short deadlines and limited registration locations, both inside and outside the country. This issue resulted in a low registration of new voters, especially abroad.

Regarding the parties and candidates, the Carter Center denounces that the registration of the main opposition forces was subject to the discretion of the electoral authorities, who made arbitrary decisions.

The electoral campaign was also criticized for its notable imbalance in favor of the government. The report mentions the abusive use of public resources and the predominance of the official candidate in the media, as well as the persecution and intimidation of those who provided services to the opposition.

The Carter Center recognized the massive and peaceful mobilization of the Venezuelan citizenry on July 28. However, it regrets that these efforts have been undermined by the lack of transparency from the CNE in the dissemination of the results.

The organization announced that it will publish a final report detailing all the findings of its mission in Venezuela.

On Sunday, Venezuelans went out to vote for a democratic change to end more than two decades of chavista dictatorship, but Nicolás Maduro claimed that he is the winner. Opposition leader María Corina Machado rejected the official results and denounced the government for manipulating the elections.

Machado stated that the "newly elected president" is the candidate from the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Edmundo González Urrutia. He also pointed out that they have legal evidence that will demonstrate the frauds committed by the government of Nicolás Maduro to maintain itself in power.

The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. It is a nonprofit organization located in Atlanta, Georgia, and works in partnership with Emory University. It is currently led by John Moores.

Among his activities, he serves as an electoral observer, mediator in international crises, and promoter of health programs in Latin America and Africa. Former President Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts in conflict resolution and the development of democracy and human rights.