G-7 Leaders Condemn Reelection of Venezuelan Pres.

May 24, 2018

Sao Paolo- Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, the leaders of the Group of Seven major nations condemned the reelection of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"We..are united in rejecting the electoral process leading to the May 20, 2018, presidential election in Venezuela," the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States said.

They denounced the election and its outcome as "failing to meet accepted international standards and not securing the basic guarantees for an inclusive, fair and democratic process," stressing the reelection of the autocratic president "is not representative of the democratic will of the citizens of Venezuela."

Separately, the 14 Lima Group member countries decided to temporarily call back their ambassadors from the South American country, saying the election was not free, fair, transparent or democratic. The group members are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana and Saint Lucia.

In its response, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions on the Maduro regime, including prohibiting the regime from selling or collateralizing certain Venezuelan financial assets. Jiji Press