Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro broke ties with seven Latin American countries after their governments questioned the results of Sunday’s sham presidential election. This decision forces the immediate withdrawal of diplomatic representatives from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay from Venezuelan territory.
Venezuelan electoral authorities – controlled by the ruling socialist regime – proclaimed Maduro as the winner with 51.2% of the votes. The opposition has contested the results and claimed they have evidence that their candidate, Edmundo González, obtained an overwhelming victory against the dictator. In addition to widespread suspicions about election authorities manipulating numbers, Maduro handpicked the candidates on the ballot and ensured his face appeared 13 times. Opposition members have also complained of violence against their campaign staff and the unlawful arrests of several dissidents, ensuring that the election was far from free and fair.
Several countries called the election’s results into question. The United States, the United Kingdom, Colombia, and the European Union called for a transparent recount of the votes, while Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, and Ecuador have not recognized Maduro’s “victory” as legitimate. Unlike previous sham elections in Venezuela, when it occurred almost immediately after the election was called, the Maduro regime has not released detailed records that show a breakdown of the election’s results on a voting-center-by-voting-center basis.
The Maduro regime accused six dissidents of being part of unproven assassination plots against Maduro and other members of the regime. The Maduro regime has also repeatedly refused to grant safe passage to the six dissidents so that they can leave Venezuela to Argentina. The Argentine news channel Todo Noticias reported on Monday that the government of President Javier Milei is holding negotiations with other countries to ensure the safety of the six dissidents following the withdrawal of Argentina’s diplomatic mission.
The recently inaugurated President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, announced that his country would suspend diplomatic ties to Venezuela prior to the Maduro regime’s announcement. The government of Peru announced in an official statement that its diplomatic staff in Caracas will leave Venezuela over the next 72 hours. Dominican President Luis Abinader reportedly stated that he would also withdraw its diplomatic personnel from Venezuela and said his government will continue to evaluate the situation to “take appropriate measures.
A Costa Rican Foreign Ministry source told AFP that the country does not have any diplomatic representatives in Venezuela, and as a result, the Maduro regime’s announcement has “no practical effect.