AGS NEWS – The European Union announced on Sunday that it cannot recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s recent re-election due to the lack of official voting records from the country’s electoral authority.

The EU Council stated that the results published by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council on August 2 are not credible and urged for the full release of official records to clear doubts.

Unlike the United States and some other nations, the EU has not acknowledged opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect.

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According to opposition-released electoral records reviewed by independent organizations, Gonzalez Urrutia appears to have won the presidential election by a large margin, the EU noted.

The EU has called for further independent verification of the election results by a reputable international entity.

It urged Venezuelan authorities to stop arbitrary detentions and repression against opposition members and civil society, and to release all political prisoners.