Venezuela has severed diplomatic relations with seven Latin American nations that questioned the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's election victory, expelling their diplomatic missions and withdrawing its own staff from those countries.
Maduro's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil ordered the immediate departure of diplomatic personnel from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, citing "interventionist acts" by these nations.
"Venezuela reserves all legal and political rights to enforce, preserve and defend our inalienable right to self-determination," the Maduro government said in a statement, according to the Miami Herald. "We will confront all actions that threaten the climate of peace and coexistence."
The move comes after these countries expressed concerns over the results of Sunday's presidential election, which Maduro won with 51.2 per cent of the votes according to the regime-controlled electoral council.
Disputed Election
Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and his coalition claim they have obtained 73.2 per cent of the voting tallies, disputing the official results.
Urrutia’s ally and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado argued that a review of voting records shows a "mathematically irreversible" lead for him, with 6.27 million votes to Maduro's 2.75 million, the Associated Press reported.
Protests and Unrest
Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to protest what they called a stolen election, chanting "Freedom, freedom!" and "This government is going to fall!" Security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
The opposition has vowed to continue challenging the election results, which they claim were tainted by fraud and political intimidation.
Regional Divide
The diplomatic fallout has exposed a deep divide in Latin America, with some nations supporting Maduro's government and others rejecting the election outcome.
Peru recalled its ambassador to Caracas because of the "very serious" results announced in Venezuela, while Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves rejected what he called the "fraudulent" outcome.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric called Maduro's victory "hard to believe", while Colombia's Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo called for an "independent audit" of the result. Argentina's right-wing President Javier Milei wrote in a social media post: "DICTATOR MADURO, OUT!!!"
On the other hand, allies Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Honduras have congratulated Maduro on his victory.
International Reaction
The United States, Britain, and the European Union have expressed concerns over the election's legitimacy, calling for transparency and a fair count of votes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the announced result "does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."
Russia and China, however, have congratulated Maduro on his victory.
