Leaders across the Americas and beyond reacted to the Venezuelan electoral authority's announcement just after midnight on Monday that President Nicolas Maduro had won a third term in office, despite multiple exit polls that pointed to an opposition win, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN

"We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people."

BRAZIL FOREIGN RELATIONS MINISTRY

"The Brazilian government hails the peaceful nature of yesterday's election in Venezuela and is closely monitoring the counting process... It awaits the publication by the national electoral council (CNE) of data broken down by polling stations, an essential step towards transparency, credibility and legitimacy."

CHILE PRESIDENT GABRIEL BORIC

"Maduro's regime must understand that the results are hard to believe. The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency... From Chile we will not recognize any result that is not verifiable."

MEXICO PRESIDENT ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR

"We're going to wait until they finish counting the votes... If the electoral authority confirms this trend, we will recognize the government elected by the people of Venezuela, because that is democracy."

ECUADOR PRESIDENT DANIEL NOBOA

"Throughout the region, there are politicians trying to cling to power and trying to take peace away from our citizens. That is what we face, that is the danger of the dictatorship, and today we are witnessing how one more of them tries to take hope away from millions of Venezuelans."

ARGENTINA PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI

"Not even (Maduro) believes the electoral scam he is celebrating. Neither does the Argentine Republic.

"We do not recognize fraud, we call on the international community to unite to restore the rule of law in Venezuela, and we remind the Venezuelan people that the doors of our country are open to every man who chooses to live in freedom."

EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT NAYIB BUKELE

"What we saw yesterday in Venezuela has no other name than fraud. An 'election' where the official result has no relation to reality. Something obvious to anyone."

PANAMA PRESIDENT JOSE RAUL MULINO

"We are putting diplomatic relations on hold until a complete review of the voting records and of the voting computer system is carried out."

EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL

"The people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers. Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital."