MOSCOW: Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Russian State Duma, affirmed on Friday that Nicolás Maduro’s recent win in the Venezuelan presidential election was legitimate.

In a statement posted on his Telegram channel, Volodin stated, “Venezuelan citizens voted for President Maduro. Our observers confirm his victory was legitimate, albeit by a narrow margin.”

The Venezuelan presidential elections took place last Sunday, and by Monday, the National Electoral Council announced Maduro's win with 51.2% of the votes counted.

However, the post-election period saw violence, with a military officer killed and 48 military and police officers injured in clashes, as reported by Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab. The Attorney General also revealed that up to 749 people had been arrested in connection with the riots, facing charges including incitement, road obstruction, hate crimes, resisting arrest, and terrorism.

In response to the unrest, Maduro has filed an appeal with the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, requesting an audit and certification of the election results to ensure transparency.

The Kremlin has called on Venezuelan opposition leaders to accept the election outcome. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also cautioned other nations against actions that could destabilize Venezuela.

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