Maduro calls EU and Josep Borrell a ‘disgrace’

CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolas MaduroOn Sunday, the European Union and EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell called it “shame” after the bloc expressed “concern over events in Caribbean countries”.

“The EU is talking nonsense, recognizing (Juan) Guaidó’s EU, the EU is a disgrace, Mr Borrell is a disgrace, he led Ukraine into war and now he’s cleansed, it’s a disgrace,” the president said at an event with the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB, military police).

Maduro criticized the European Union for demanding that Venezuelan authorities respect the demonstrations that have taken place since Monday and refuse to accept the official results released by the National Electoral Council (CNE) declaring the president the winner.

“Now it is said that Venezuela suppresses peaceful demonstrations, Mr. Borrell said? “When do they attack people, hospitals, CDIs (Comprehensive Diagnostic Centers), schools, bus stations, subway stations?” he asked.

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On Sunday, the European Union called for a “larger independent verification of the electoral record” after the July 28 vote.

“The report of the international election observation mission clearly states that the presidential election on 28 July did not meet international standards of electoral integrity,” the EU said in a statement.

The European body urged the electoral body to publish the official minutes of polling stations because “the results announced by the CNE on August 2 cannot be recognized without supporting evidence.”

On Friday, the CNE presented its second and final balance to date, in which it approved Maduro’s victory and re-election with 51.95% of the votes, while Edmundo González Urrutia received 43.18% and 96.87%, according to the minutes that have been reviewed and have not yet been made public.

Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado insisted on Sunday that “more than 80% of the votes in the minutes of the witnesses of the vote, which can be viewed on resultsconvzla.com, are beyond any doubt.” Edmundo González Urrutia was elected president of Venezuela.