By Hector Pereira
Caracas, Aug 10 (EFE).- Former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez urged Nicolás Maduro, declared the winner of Venezuela’s July 28 election, to address growing demands for transparency amid widespread fraud allegations.
The opposition claims its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won by a wide margin that was stolen by Maduro.
“The government must heed these concerns, as should the group of three (Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil), who are calling for a different approach from the National Electoral Council (CNE) and for the results to be published,” Márquez told EFE.
Failing to do so, he warned, “would be disastrous” for the country.
Venezuela has seen protests, some of which turned violent, resulting in 24 civilian deaths, according to the NGO Provea. These protests followed Maduro’s proclamation, which the poll body announced without releasing detailed results, contrary to its electoral schedule.
Alleged Electoral “Hacking”
Despite the CNE’s claim of a cyberattack, Márquez questioned the delay in announcing the result, which didn’t prevent Maduro’s proclamation.
He remarked that the supposed hack might “enter the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-lasting,” given that 13 days have passed since the vote, and the CNE website remains down.
“If the CNE has the results, why not publish them? Isn’t that what everyone is asking for? Why not resolve the controversy by making the results public and subjecting them to scrutiny?” Márquez asked.
He referred to the voting records reportedly delivered to the Supreme Court’s Electoral Chamber by CNE President Elvis Amoroso, who initiated a “validation” process at Maduro’s request.
Márquez argued that established regulations are “not being respected,” citing a lack of audits. He emphasized that the CNE, with a majority of Chavista-aligned officials, should “enforce respect” for the voters’ will.
“I believe there are other issues at the CNE that need clarification,” said Márquez, a former vice president of the electoral body. He described himself as a “losing candidate” who feels compelled to “warn that the foundations of the republic are shaking.”
Respect for Suffrage
Márquez also criticized the CNE’s closure since July 29 and urged the Supreme Court to investigate the five main electoral officials, accusing them of “conspiring to undermine the republic” and possibly “violating popular sovereignty.”
“This situation demands reflection and a political solution,” he said. “It would be catastrophic for the country if we emerged from this crisis in worse shape.”
Responding to the Carter Center’s criticisms, Márquez praised the organization’s “impeccable” work, which found no evidence of the alleged hacking and concluded that González Urrutia was the true winner. The Venezuelan government dismissed this as support for a “coup d’état.”
“We must agree on the kind of republic we want,” Márquez added. He is the only former candidate who refused to pre-emptively accept the Supreme Court’s verdict, which is expected to favor Maduro.
González Urrutia did not appear before the Supreme Court, believing Maduro used the court to secure a favorable outcome without complying with the CNE’s requirement to publish the results. EFE
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