CARICOM says ‘no division’ on statement on Venezuela election results

THE CARIBBEAN Community (CARICOM) will be leaving it up to its individual Member States to issue any statement on the results of the Presidential elections in Venezuela.

The country held its elections on Sunday, July 28,2024, with the results, which some including the Opposition party alleged to be fraudulent, sparking protests in major cities across the country.

Speaking at a closing press conference after the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government four days after Venezuela’s elections, Grenada’s Prime Minister and Chair of CARICOM, Dickon Mitchell, said there is no need for the regional body to hold a position or issue a statement on the results.

“It’s not an indication that CARICOM is divided on the issue. CARICOM doesn’t have to have a position on the issue. Elections in Venezuela, domestic matters- first, second, Venezuela is not a member of CARICOM. And third, I think we expect, and it has already happened, that members will indicate their positions.”

Mitchell was responding to questions from regional journalists, and reiterated that CARICOM was not divided on the their views on the results.

“We are happy with the fact that the people of Venezuela got the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to engage in elections, and so no, there is no division within CARICOM on the issue. Because there’s really no need for CARICOM to have a division on the issue.”

Mitchell added that it is not the duty of CARICOM to publicly call for the “verification of any country’s election”.

After the National Electoral Council (CNE), declared Maduro the winner with 51 percent of the votes compared with 46 percent for opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, the Opposition challenged the results and has since called for the release of electoral data.

Guyana has been vocal on the matter, and on July 30, 2024, released a statement saying the country supports “the call for a transparent process of verification of the will of the Venezuelan people as exercised on July 28, 2024”.

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, congratulated Maduro on winning the elections.

In response to allegations of election rigging, Maduro said Venezuela’s Supreme Court will be called on to conduct an audit of the voting tally.