Following Venezuela’s contentious presidential election, the United States has officially recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the victor, challenging incumbent President Nicolas Maduro’s claim to victory.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a decisive statement on Thursday, asserting,
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.”
While the U.S. congratulated Gonzalez on his “successful campaign,” it stopped short of explicitly recognizing him as Venezuela’s new leader.
Election aftermath and ongoing controversy
The disputed election results have ignited protests across Venezuela. The country’s electoral council declared Maduro, who has held power since 2013, the winner with 51% of the vote. However, the opposition presents a starkly different picture.
According to the opposition’s tally, which covers approximately 90% of the votes cast, Gonzalez received more than double the support of Maduro. This claim aligns with independent pre-election polling data.
To support their assertion, the opposition has published detailed vote tallies on a public website, in contrast to the government, which has only released a national total for each candidate.
International response and potential consequences
While Blinken’s statement did not explicitly threaten new sanctions against Venezuela, he hinted at possible “punitive action.” Reuters had previously reported that Washington was considering additional sanctions in light of the disputed election.
Blinken emphasized the U.S. commitment to Venezuela’s democratic process, stating,
“We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners.”
The Secretary of State also stressed the importance of protecting opposition leaders, warning against the misuse of law enforcement and security forces for political purposes.
Regional leaders call for transparency
The presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia called for Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies on Thursday amid the dispute over presidential election results.
This demand from influential regional leaders adds to the growing international pressure on Venezuela’s government to provide greater transparency regarding the election outcome.
The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further diplomatic and economic ramifications as the international community continues to scrutinize Venezuela’s electoral process and its aftermath.
