A coalition of lawmakers from the United States and several European countries has issued a stern warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Will Work Together
They declare that if Maduro does not step down, efforts will be made to hold him accountable for his actions, according to Tass. This joint statement was released on Friday by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Our governments are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, and we will work together to hold Maduro accountable if he continues to ignore the democratic will of the Venezuelan voters and attempts to steal yet another election," the statement asserts.
The statement is supported by foreign affairs committee members from countries including Armenia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Estonia.
Maduro Lost Presidential Election
The lawmakers claim that Maduro lost the presidential election and argue that Venezuela urgently needs negotiations for a transfer of power to opposition leader Edmundo González. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on August 1 that it is time for Venezuelan political forces to discuss handing over power to González.
Similarly, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols urged other nations to recognize González as the rightful winner of the presidential election.
The Venezuelan presidential election took place on July 28. According to the National Electoral Council, with nearly 97% of the votes counted, Maduro received 51.95% of the votes, while González garnered 43.18%. Opposition leader Corina Machado stated on election day that González's team would not accept the election results, citing alleged electoral fraud.
