Ottawa Demands Release of Venezuelan Protesters in Wake of Post-Election Unrest
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has denounced acts of violence in Venezuela and called for the release of protesters that were following the disputed election results.
Throngs of protesters have taken to the streets to denounce the July 28 election results giving Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a third term, and security forces have fired tear gas and rubber bullets and made numerous arrests as they crack down on the demonstrations.
“These arrests have taken place in a context of harassment, persecution, and criminalization that marked the electoral campaign,” says the letter signed by Human Rights Watch and others.
Joly said Venezuelans should not face repression for exercising their democratic rights.
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A number of foreign countries have expressed concerns about the results and some, such as the United States, have recognized Gonzalez as the winner.
U.S Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said last week there is “overwhelming evidence” that Gonzalez received the most votes. Latin American countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay have come to the same conclusion.
Canada has not gone that far yet but has cast doubt on the validity of the election and called the Venezuelan authorities to release the detailed results from polling stations.
“The electoral data collected by citizen witnesses and independent international observers provides credible evidence that the results claimed by Maduro authorities of this election don’t reflect the will of the Venezuelan people,” said Joly.
Other countries such as China, Russia, and Cuba have congratulated Maduro.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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