Trump says Venezuela is being run by a dictator

WASHINGTON: Venezuela is being run by a dictator, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday, without mentioning Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by name.

“I know it very well, and Venezuela is right now being run by a dictator,” Trump said in an interview on the Kick livestreaming platform. Following a July 28 election, Venezuela’s electoral council has declared President Maduro, in power since 2013, the winner with 51% of the vote, sparking immediate accusations of fraud by the opposition.

The opposition says its own detailed tally shows opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez likely received 67 percent of the vote. Venezuela’s electoral council has declared President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51 percent of the vote, sparking immediate accusations of fraud by the opposition. The opposition says its own detailed tally shows opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez likely received 67 percent of the vote.

The joint statement by the seven EU countries added to a tide of criticism from abroad over the Venezuelan government’s handling of the election. Some nations, including the United States and Argentina, have recognised Gonzalez as the election winner. Last week, G7 foreign ministers expressed their solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their concern about the election results. “We call on the Venezuelan authorities to immediately publish all voting registers to ensure full transparency and integrity of the electoral process,” said the statement by the seven EU nations, which also included Portugal.