I n a dramatic turn of events, the Nicolás Maduro regime expelled the diplomatic missions of seven Latin American nations on Monday. This move came after these countries expressed concerns over the results of Venezuela’s recent presidential election, announced on Sunday. The nations affected include Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.
Maduro’s Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, labeled the comments made by leaders of these neighboring countries as “interventionist acts” and ordered their diplomatic personnel to leave Venezuela immediately. "Venezuela reserves all legal and political rights to enforce, preserve and defend our inalienable right to self-determination," the Maduro government stated in a press release. "We will confront all actions that threaten the climate of peace and coexistence within our nation."
The controversy erupted following the announcement by the regime-controlled National Electoral Council that Maduro had won the election over opposition candidate Edmundo González. Despite exit polls from credible independent firms showing that Maduro had lost by a margin of two to one, the council declared Maduro the winner with 51.1% of the vote, surpassing González's 44%.
Elvis Amoroso, president of the electoral council, confirmed Maduro's reelection to a third six-year term. The campaign had been fraught with allegations of opposition intimidation and fears of electoral fraud.
Opposition leaders vehemently rejected the council's results, asserting that their gathered data and exit polls indicated González had secured more than 65% of the vote. They accused the regime of committing electoral fraud on a grand scale. This sentiment was echoed by officials in Washington, who stated that the numbers announced by Caracas did not reflect the actual voting outcome.
Officials from the expelled countries called for a meeting at the Organization of American States to analyze the situation in Venezuela. The United States, which currently has no diplomatic relations with Venezuela, also voiced skepticism over the official election results.
The expulsion of diplomats marks a significant escalation in Venezuela's political crisis, raising concerns about the nation's future and its relationship with neighboring countries.
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