Belize Wants Info on Venezuela Election Results

Venezuela’s Nicholas Maduro has claimed another victory at the polls, securing another six years in office as president. If this is so, Maduro defeated his main opponent by seven percentage points in a vote that was marred by widespread irregularities. But the opposition is saying that Maduro clearly lost the elections, demanding an audit of the exercise. Now seven regional countries have called for that audit and while there was a resolution at the O.A.S. following the elections, Belize abstained. Minister of Foreign Affairs says Belize wants more information on the election results before it can have a position on who is the new president. 

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“There was a resolution that was proposed before the Organization of American States. Belize abstained in terms of that resolution because we really want to get more information. We’re not satisfied that we’ve been provided with sufficient, reliable information so we join with those who say we need more transparency. We need more information provided, more data provided. So far the Venezuelan Government has said that they will provide that data and information. We expect them to do so. So we are prepared to wait for that to be done – a reasonable time period – but again, when we’re dealing with these issues, we have always found in Belize that it’s best for us to work through the organizations that we belong to, like CARICOM and SICA. So we’ve discussed this matter at the CARICOM level, not yet at SICA. Obviously there are different points of view but the great majority of the CARICOM countries abstained from that resolution for the very reasons I stated, that they need to see more information. They need to have more data presented to them. We are absolutely committed in CARICOM and as Belize to ensuring that there are free and fair elections in Venezuela, that’s critically important.”