Representatives from the European Union and world leaders have cast doubt on Venezuela's official declaration that President Nicolás Maduro won last Sunday's election.
ADVERTISEMENTAs protests continue in Venezuela, the European Union and several world leaders have called for further verification of the results.
In a statement on Sunday, the EU said reports from international election observation missions show that the elections "did not meet international standards of electoral integrity".
The statement has come as a bitter pill to swallow for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who lashed out at the European institutions and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
"The European Union brings out its cantaleta, the same European Union that recognised (Juan) Guaidó, shame on the European Union, Mr Borrell is a disgrace, he is a disgrace who led Ukraine to war and now washes his hands of it," Maduro declared.
Borrell responded to the accusations in a post on X on Monday, saying the EU cannot recognise Venezuela' s election results "without evidence to back them up".
Among the world's voices who have cast doubt on the results is former Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner, traditionally a political ally of Chavismo — the political movement Maduro champions.
On Saturday the 71-year-old said the electoral records should be published "for the very legacy of Hugo Chávez" — Venezuela's influential former president.
Kircher words have also been met with fury by the Venezuelan government, with Vice President of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) indirectly accusing her of "betraying the legacy of Kirchner, Perón and the people".
More than 2,000 arrested during protests
Political tension in Venezuela has reached a critical point following the 28 July elections. Maduro's government has yet to present official results to back up its alleged victory and thousands of Venezuelans have denounced irregularities in the electoral process.
So far at least 2,000 people have been arrested in the country for allegedly burning polling stations and regional headquarters of the National Electoral Council (CNE), according to the government.
Maduro has doubled down on arresting protesters, saying this weekend that, "there will be no forgiveness" and that "maximum punishment" will be imposed on those detained.
The president has threatened to arrest opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and her picked presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
The 61-year-old criticised González's absence from the hearing of the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), to which all those who had stood in the 28 July elections were summoned.
The pair have since gone into hiding, saying they fear they will be arrested or killed.