Protesters demand stronger Canadian response to ‘rigged’ Venezuelan election

TORONTO — Around 300 people gathered in downtown Toronto outside the Ontario legislature today to protest the results of the disputed Venezuelan election and to demand a stronger response from Ottawa.

Authorities have declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner of last Sunday’s election but have yet to produce voting tallies to prove he won.

Rebecca Sarfati, an organizer in the Toronto Venezuelan community, called the Canadian response “bland.”

She says other countries, such as the United States, consider the election to be “rigged,” adding that Canada must say whether it thinks Maduro is a dictator.

The Biden administration has thrown its support firmly behind the opposition, recognizing Edmundo Gonzalez as the victor and discrediting the National Electoral Council’s official results.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has said she is “deeply concerned” by reports of violence in Venezuela and that information by observers raises “significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.”

An Associated Press analysis of vote tally sheets released Friday by Venezuela’s main opposition indicates that their candidate won significantly more votes in Sunday’s election than the government has claimed, casting serious doubt on the official declaration that Maduro won.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press.

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