FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 30th, 2024
Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba Responds to the Results of the Presidential Election in Venezuela
Miami, Florida (July 30, 2024) – Today, the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba released the following statement from President and Founder Tony Costa in response to the recent election results of Venezuela’s Presidential election:
“For over two decades, Venezuelans have seen their freedoms stripped away and the democratic pillars of their country dismantled under the brutal dictatorship of the Chavez-Maduro regime. Last night’s historic election was meant to symbolize an end to the regime’s reign of oppression as the Venezuelan people came out in masses to the polls as they voted to usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and freedom for their country, yet unsurprisingly the Maduro regime refuses to accept the will of the people.
“Despite multiple independent exit polls showing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez legitimately won a majority of the vote by a 30% margin, Maduro and his cronies have claimed victory, stealing the election from the legitimate winner, Edmundo Gonzalez. While earlier today the National Electoral Council (CNE in Spanish), an electoral body that acts as an arm of the Maduro government, called the election in favor of Maduro with 51% of the voting, on-the-ground independent Venezuelan poll trackers found that Maduro lost in every electoral site across all states.
“The regime’s attempt to disparage the integrity of yesterday’s election is not surprising, and is in fact expected. As polling centers closed, the regime sent paramilitary forces to violently intimidate electoral witnesses, gravely injuring some and killing at least 5 people. The regime knew it would lose by a landslide and this was their attempt to mock and push back on the will of the Venezuelan people. This election was anything but free, legitimate, or transparent. Instead, it was a power grab so the Maduro regime could remain in power and do what is in its best interest, even if it is against the will of the Venezuelan people. I applaud Secretary of State Biliken, Senators Rubio and Scott and our South Florida congressional delegation including Maria Salazar, Mario Diaz Ballart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz for denouncing Maduro’s claim of victory and supporting the Venezuelan opposition.
“This fraudulent victory is underscored by the fact that Miguel Diaz-Canel has already spoken with Maduro over the phone to congratulate him and said ‘Nicolas Maduro, my brother, your victory, which is that of the Bolivarian and Chavista people, has cleanly and unequivocally defeated the pro-imperialist opposition.’ Castro and Maduro are cut from the same cloth of totalitarianism and fraudulent victories as both of these brutal dictators stand in the way of freedom and democracy in Cuba and Venezuela. With their illegitimate claims of victory and power, Castro and Maduro represent a threat to democracy and human rights everywhere as Castro knows that once Venezuela is free, Cuba will soon follow. It is estimated that there are over 5,000 political and military Cuban officials in Venezuela assisting the Maduro regime.
“The international community, including the United States, has already called out the Maduro regime’s false claims of victory, refusing to legitimize the illegitimate and fraudulent results of the Presidential election. In the name of democracy, we call on all democratic countries to refute the illegitimate election results of the Venezuelan presidential election. Until the legitimate winner of the election, Edmundo Gonzalez, is recognized and a peaceful transition of power is put into place, we will continue to advocate for free and legitimate elections in every country and for an end to all totalitarian regimes that deny their citizens of their freedom and rights.”
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About the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC)
The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was established in 1992 to promote a nonviolent transition to a democratic Cuba. The FIRM’s mission is to empower Cuban civil society to build a durable democracy that is free of human rights violations.
For more information, please contact: fhrc@deweysquare.com