United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has officially recognized [1] opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner of the Venezuelan presidential election, dismissing incumbent Nicolás Maduro’s claims to power.
The announcement comes in the wake of a disputed election held last Sunday, where both candidates declared victory.
🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪BREAKING: US DECLARES GONZÁLEZ VICTOR IN VENEZUELA ELECTION, REJECTS MADURO’S CLAIM
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has issued a statement challenging Venezuela’s official election results, declaring opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the true winner of… pic.twitter.com/mo9GiY4nNa [2]
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 2, 2024 [3]
However, the National Electoral Council controversially declared Maduro the winner on Monday, prompting widespread protests across Venezuela.
Secretary Blinken stated, “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” according to the Associated Press [1].
This move follows calls from officials representing countries such as Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia for the release of the vote tally in order to verify the election results.
González and his ally, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, are confident that the released tallies will prove Maduro’s defeat.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to address concerns about the election’s legitimacy, Maduro has requested an audit of the election from Venezuela’s highest court.
However, critics argue that the court lacks impartiality as it is closely tied to Maduro.
Despite these reservations, the court has accepted the audit request and summoned Maduro and the other candidates to appear on Friday.
The US recognition of González as the legitimate winner puts additional pressure on Maduro’s government to address concerns and restore faith in the electoral process among the Venezuelan people.