CARACAS, July 29. /TASS/. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry says that nine Latin American countries tried to interfere in the country’s presidential election.

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces and alerts the world about an operation of intervention against the electoral process, our right to self-determination and the sovereignty of our Homeland by a group of foreign governments and powers," the agency said in a communique.

According to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay are "trying to undermine" the peaceful expression of the people’s will. "Those very same people who recognized a puppet [Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself a Venezuelan president - TASS] in 2019 intend to impose it today, in 2024," the text reads.

Earlier, the foreign ministries of Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay issued a joint statement calling on Caracas to ensure a transparent vote-counting process.

The presidential election was held in Venezuela on Sunday. Far-right candidate Edmundo Gonzalez is the main rival of the incumbent head of state Nicolas Maduro. The official results of the vote count have not yet been announced.