A Venezuelan electoral official has condemned what he describes as a “grave lack of transparency and veracity” in the recent election results, challenging the official declaration of President Nicolás Maduro as the winner. This comes despite compelling evidence presented by his opponents and skepticism voiced by several foreign governments.
Juan Carlos Delpino, one of the five members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), is the sole member who demonstrated a willingness to oppose the Maduro administration prior to the vote.
In a letter posted on social media on Monday, Delpino outlined several alleged irregularities that occurred before and during the July 28th election. He claimed that polling centers were slow to transmit results from electronic voting machines, while opposition volunteers were excluded, violating electoral regulations designed to ensure transparent transmission of vote tallies to CNE headquarters.
Delpino explained that a supposed hacking of the CNE platform caused the lengthy delay, resulting in only 58% of the results being collected. He stated his refusal to participate in monitoring the vote count from the CNE data hub or attend the midnight press conference where CNE President Elvis Amoroso, a staunch supporter of the ruling party, declared Maduro the victor.
“I deeply regret that the results do not serve the Venezuelan people, that they do not contribute to resolving our differences or fostering national unity, but instead fuel doubt among the majority of Venezuelans and the international community,” Delpino wrote.
Delpino, an electoral expert with ties to one of Venezuela’s traditional opposition parties, was appointed to the CNE by the National Assembly, which is controlled by Maduro’s allies, last year following the removal of several previous members.
Delpino’s letter coincides with Maduro’s continued assertion of winning re-election by a margin exceeding 1 million votes. Despite calls from the United States, the European Union, and even left-leaning allies such as Colombia and Mexico for the release of voting records to substantiate these claims, the Maduro administration has remained defiant.
Meanwhile, the opposition has published online what appear to be authentic tallies from 80% of voting machines, indicating a victory for their candidate, Edmundo González, by a margin of more than 2-to-1.
Last week, the Venezuelan Supreme Court validated the results, dismissing online tallies published by the opposition as fabricated. Attorney General Tarek William Saab initiated a criminal investigation into González for alleged attempts to incite panic within the nation by challenging the results, ordering him to testify this week.
González, in a statement on Sunday, asserted his refusal to comply with the summons, arguing that his due process rights and Venezuela’s constitution were being violated, and emphasizing his sole accountability to the voters. He reiterated calls for Maduro to release voting records from approximately 30,000 machines nationwide, enabling independent verification by international experts.
“Venezuela is experiencing moments of uncertainty and unease due to your efforts to violate the desire for change,” González addressed Maduro directly in a video shared on social media. “Releasing the voting tallies is the guarantee of peace.”
Former diplomat González and his primary supporter, opposition leader María Corina Machado, have gone into hiding following the election as security forces detained over 2,000 individuals and cracked down on demonstrations across the country protesting the results.
The two have urged Venezuelans to take to the streets on Wednesday to commemorate the one-month anniversary of their purported electoral victory.
Meanwhile, mothers of several individuals arrested by security forces gathered outside a high-security prison in central Venezuela on Monday, where dozens of detainees have been transferred. Holding signs that read “They Aren’t Terrorists” and “Free our Children,” several mothers stated that their loved ones were apprehended far from any demonstrations against Maduro.
Eliana Perez recounted that her two adult children were arrested at a police checkpoint while returning home from work and seated in their vehicle.
“There were no traffic restrictions, no curfew,” Perez said, fighting back tears. “They are in agony because they’ve never had any problems with the law before.”
In an interview published on Monday, Delpino also revealed that he had gone into hiding.
Delpino’s letter further highlighted what he termed a series of irregular decisions by the CNE, including the lack of pre-election meetings, hindering the establishment of clear guidelines for the participation of campaign poll workers, international observers, and millions of Venezuelans residing abroad.