BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The European Union (EU) does not recognize the “democratic legitimacy” of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after his re-election last month, the bloc’s top diplomat said on Thursday.

“He will remain president de facto. Yes, de facto. But we deny democratic legitimacy based on a result that cannot be verified,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said during a press conference in Brussels after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.

“We believe that the electoral victory that he’s claiming was not endorsed, it’s not approved. And therefore we have no reason to believe it,” Borrell added.

He also said that the EU would continue to maintain relations with Maduro’s Venezuela, as it does with other countries where it does not recognize the democratic legitimacy of leaders, such as Nicaragua.

“In diplomacy, it’s not governments but it’s states that are recognized.”

Maduro was declared the winner of the 28 July election, but the opposition — which had been leading in the polls — cried foul, publishing its own voting records on a website appearing to show a convincing win for candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

Urrutia, a retired former diplomat in his 70s, became a last-minute candidate after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was banned from running in the election.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council has refused to publish its records, claiming hackers had corrupted the data.

Venezuela’s strongman leader Maduro has called for the arrest of Urrutia, not seen in public since a 30 July opposition march.

Urrutia faces an arrest warrant if he ignores a third demand to appear before prosecutors over the country’s disputed presidential election, the latest summons said Thursday.