MEXICO CITY.- The President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorhas refrained from recognizing the alleged victory of Nicolás Maduro in the recent presidential elections in Venezuela, stating that his government will wait for the publication of the electoral records before passing judgment. This statement takes place in a context of high tension in Venezuela, where the opposition and the international community have expressed serious doubts about the legitimacy of the electoral process.
López Obrador, one of Maduro’s closest allies in the region, along with the presidents of Brazil and Colombia, said he would not make any decision until Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) publishes official documents supporting the announced results.
“It seems that the court is asking the Electoral Council to make the minutes public, so we will wait,” said the Mexican president during his morning press conference, highlighting the importance of transparency in this process.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court (TSJ), controlled by the Maduro regime, recently upheld the socialist leader’s victory, dismissing accusations of electoral fraud raised by the opposition. However, the TSJ ruling also included a recommendation to the CNE to make the electoral records public, something that the opposition and numerous international observers have demanded as a necessary step for an independent audit of the process.
López Obrador has preferred to maintain a cautious stance, stressing that any official recognition of his government will depend on confirmation of the results by the CNE. This attitude contrasts with his previous role as mediator in the Venezuelan crisis, a role he initially shared with his counterparts from Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro. However, after the crisis worsened, López Obrador decided to take a step back, leaving Lula and Petro to continue diplomatic efforts.
López Obrador’s caution reflects his strategy of avoiding direct confrontations in international politics and his focus on preserving diplomatic relations with all actors involved. However, his alliance with Maduro has been the subject of criticism both domestically and internationally, especially at a time when the legitimacy of Venezuela’s electoral process is under scrutiny.
The decision to wait for the minutes to be published could be seen as an attempt to gain time and avoid taking a position that could be controversial in the regional context, where Venezuela’s influence and political divisions are deep. Meanwhile, the international community remains expectant about the next moves of the Mexican government and its possible influence on the development of the Venezuelan crisis.
