Around 300 people gathered in downtown Toronto outside the Ontario legislature today to protest the results of the disputed Venezuelan election and to demand a stronger response from Ottawa.

Authorities have declared President Nicol谩s Maduro the winner of last Sunday鈥檚 election but have yet to produce voting tallies to prove he won.

Rebecca Sarfatti, an organizer in the Toronto Venezuelan community, called the Canadian response 鈥渂land.鈥�

She says other countries, such as the United States, consider the election to be 鈥渞igged,鈥� adding that Canada must say whether it thinks Maduro is a dictator.

The Biden administration has thrown its support firmly behind the opposition, recognizing Edmundo Gonz谩lez as the victor and discrediting the National Electoral Council鈥檚 official results.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly has said she is 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� by reports of violence in Venezuela and that information by observers raises 鈥渟ignificant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.鈥�

An Associated Press analysis of vote tally sheets released Friday by Venezuela鈥檚 main opposition indicates that their candidate won significantly more votes in Sunday鈥檚 election than the government has claimed, casting serious doubt on the official declaration that Maduro won.

Some protesters carried signs that reflected the opposition鈥檚 analyzed election tally, wherein Gonz谩lez received millions more votes than Maduro, and urged the Venezuelan president to accept those results.

Many of the protesters still have family in Venezuela, expressing concern for their safety and citing mass detentions and violence.

Sarfatti鈥檚 mother still lives in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, and says she can鈥檛 leave her house and worries about grocery shortages in the coming weeks.

鈥淚 know most people here have somebody who has suffered either now or in the past from this regime,鈥� said Sarfatti, 鈥渢hey don鈥檛 feel safe going outside.鈥�

鈥� With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press