- Title: Colombia rejects results of Venezuela's constituent assembly vote
- Date: 31st July 2017
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (FILE) (REUTERS) PUBLIC ENTRANCE TO COLOMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY IN BOGOTA COLOMBIAN FLAG AT MINISTRY BUILDING
- Embargoed: 14th August 2017 22:42
- Keywords: Colombian Foreign Ministry Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin Venezuela constituent national assembly vote Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016S1U72F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin on Monday (July 31) reinforced Bogota's position that it will reject the results of a controversial constituent assembly election in neighbouring Venezuela, amidst fears that the vote will cement President Maduro's power over the OPEC nation.
The assembly had been promoted by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a way of bringing peace to the nation, but it is perceived by the opposition as a means of changing the constitution to favour the Socialist government. Angela Holguin said Colombia "neither accepted nor recognised" and said the so-called results would need to go to a referendum vote where the people would decide the fate of Venezuela.
Bogota joins Spain, Argentina and Brazil in criticism of the Venezuela vote. The White House has also said after the election that President Nicolas Maduro is now effectively a dictator after "seizing absolute power" through what Washington said was a sham election of the country's National Constituent Assembly. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None