The United States has officially recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the rightful winner of Venezuela's disputed presidential election, rejecting incumbent President Nicolas Maduro's claim to victory.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced, emphasizing the overwhelming evidence that Gonzalez secured the most votes in the July 28 election. This marks a significant step from the U.S., which stopped short of full recognition but congratulated Gonzalez on a successful campaign.
The contested election results have ignited protests across Venezuela. The country's electoral council declared Maduro the victor with 51% of the vote, but the opposition, citing their tally of 90% of the votes, asserts that Gonzalez garnered more than double Maduro's support. Independent polls conducted before the election support the opposition's claims.
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The opposition has made detailed vote counts available on a public website, while the Venezuelan government has only released a national total for each candidate. This lack of transparency has fueled further controversy.
Blinken's statement hinted at potential new sanctions against Venezuela but fell short of making any direct threats. Reuters reported that the U.S. might consider fresh sanctions following the election dispute. Blinken strongly supported restoring democratic norms in Venezuela and indicated that the U.S. is ready to collaborate with international partners to achieve this goal.
Additionally, Blinken called for the protection of opposition leaders, stressing that law enforcement and security forces should not be used as tools of political violence against citizens exercising their democratic rights.
In light of the election dispute, the presidents of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia have urged Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies to ensure transparency and uphold democratic principles. The international community remains watchful as the situation in Venezuela unfolds.
