The National Assembly of Panama issued a resolution recognizing Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate, as the winner of the presidential elections in Venezuela on July 28. The resolution strongly condemns the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council for a six-year term.
In the document, the Panamanian National Assembly joins the international call to recognize González Urrutia as the winner and demands respect for the popular will expressed at the polls by Venezuelans. Additionally, it supports President José Raúl Mulino in the necessary actions to comply with the Rome Statute, a treaty of which Panama has been a signatory since 2002.
The Rome Statute is a constitutive treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a permanent international criminal court with a universal mission. Panama was one of the first countries to sign it in 1998. After the anniversary of its adoption in July, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry recalled the importance of this treaty.
Panama has been one of the countries in the region to recognize González Urrutia as the winner of the Venezuelan elections. During the electoral process, the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, controlled by the ruling party, proclaimed Nicolás Maduro's re-election without presenting supporting records. After the elections, both countries closed their diplomatic representations, and Venezuela suspended commercial flights with Panama.
