China’s Xi congratulates Venezuela’s Maduro on reelection despite global doubts

China’s President Xi Jinping has congratulated Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro on his presidential reelection, state media said on Tuesday, in contrast to doubt and criticism expressed by some Latin American leaders and the United States.

Electoral authorities said Maduro won a third term with 51 percent of the vote, extending a quarter-century of socialist rule, though the opposition said it had voting-tally proof of having won as anti-government protests erupted nationwide, with police firing tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital Caracas.

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Xi reiterated ties of friendship in his message to Maduro, saying the latter had led his government and people on a path of development in line with national conditions, official news agency Xinhua said.

“China will, as always, firmly support Venezuela’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, national dignity and social stability, and firmly support Venezuela’s just cause of opposing external interference,” Xi said.

All parties should respect the choices of the Venezuelan people, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a news briefing in reply to a query about China’s position on Maduro’s contested reelection.

“We believe that the (Venezuelan) government and people are capable of handling their own internal affairs,” the spokesperson, Lin Jian, added.

However, Latin American governments as well as the United States expressed doubt about Maduro’s win, with the Biden administration accusing him of election manipulation and Peru dismissing Venezuelan diplomats.

Russia, Cuba, Honduras and Bolivia were supportive of the election results.

Russia backs Maduro

The Kremlin on Tuesday said Venezuela’s opposition must accept that it lost the presidential election.

“We see that the opposition does not want to accept defeat. But we believe it must do so,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Moscow backs Maduro and President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated him on victory.

Peskov on Tuesday also warned other countries, that he did not name, against interfering in the country’s politics.

“It is very important, that attempts to sway the situation inside Venezuela are not fueled by third countries and that Venezuela is free from external influence,” he said.

Moscow regularly accuses anti-government protesters at home and in its allies of being funded or whipped up by the West.

With agencies

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