According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there is ample proof that the opposition in Venezuela won the most recent presidential election. Blinken made a clear declaration that Edmundo González had received the majority of the votes, in contrast to the disputed victory that President Nicolás Maduro had claimed.

US Recognition of Edmundo González’s Victory

Antony Blinken made it clear that both the United States and the Venezuelan people recognize Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election. This assertion came amid calls from the leaders of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia for Venezuela to release full details of the election results. In the wake of these events, the US State Department verified that Blinken had congratulated González directly on his election victory.

International Reactions and Calls for Transparency

Blinken voiced concerns about their safety and denounced any acts of political violence and repression during a chat with González and opposition leader María Corina Machado. The controversial election results, which Venezuela’s election authority ratified, claimed Maduro won 52% of the votes compared to González’s 43%, with 97% of the votes counted.

Maduro has accused the opposition of fabricating evidence to dispute the election results and alleged US involvement in what he termed a farce and a coup attempt. He further blamed the opposition for spreading misinformation and inciting violence within the country.

Disputed Election Results

The electoral council, controlled by the government, announced Maduro’s victory for a third term, a result immediately contested by the opposition. The opposition, having access to the majority of electronic voting machine receipts nationwide, asserted that their tally showed a clear victory for González. Opinion polls conducted prior to the election had likewise given the challenger a sizable lead.

The news of Maduro’s win sparked violent demonstrations in Caracas and sparked condemnation from all around the world. The Venezuelan government has been asked to produce documentation of the election results by other governments across the globe. China, Russia, and Iran acknowledged Maduro’s win, but the US, the EU, and the other G7 countries have demanded that comprehensive polling data be made public.

Blinken’s Historical Context and Social Media Declaration

Blinken reiterated on social media that González, the democratic opposition candidate, garnered the majority of the votes, demonstrating the election’s results clearly reflecting the will of the Venezuelan people. He urged for a peaceful transition in compliance with the decision of the people and Venezuelan electoral law. The US and other countries sanctioned Venezuela in 2018, acknowledged opposition leader Juan Guaido as acting president in the interim, and refused to recognize the election results. This behavior is a significant intervention.

International Support and Calls for Verification

In agreement with Blinken, Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino said that González was the rightful winner and the incoming president. Ecuador, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Peru have also acknowledged González’s triumph. The governments of Venezuela are being urged to release comprehensive voting statistics from every polling place, while Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico have demanded an unbiased verification of the results.

Opposition’s Response and International Appeal

Leader of the opposition, María Corina Machado, who is now in hiding, has demanded large-scale protests, claiming that Maduro was not elected. She said that her party’s candidate, González, easily won, and she could prove it with receipts from more than 80% of polling locations. Machado has appealed to the international community for support, emphasizing the need for international action against the system she described as illegal.

Venezuela’s political environment is still heated as calls for an open settlement to the contested election grow from both the domestic and international arenas.

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