Controversial elections in Venezuela: US recognizes Maduro's opponent as winner
Nicolás Maduro (photo: Getty Images)
The US has recognized Edmundo González as the winner of the recent contentious presidential election in Venezuela. Gonzalez was the main opponent of the incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, in the vote, states US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
A US official congratulated the Venezuelan people on behalf of Washington for their participation in the presidential elections on July 28, despite significant challenges.
According to him, at least 12 million Venezuelans cast their votes.
"Unfortunately, the processing of those votes and the announcement of results by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) were deeply flawed, yielding an announced outcome that does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people," Blinken's statement read.
The US Secretary of State noted that the quick announcement of Maduro as the winner by this council came without any corroborating evidence, and official vote count data has yet to be published despite repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community to do so.
Blinken added that the democratic opposition published over 80% of the vote tallies obtained directly from polling stations across Venezuela.
"Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin. Independent observers have corroborated these facts, and this outcome was also supported by election day exit polls and quick counts," the US official said.
According to him, the US conducted extensive consultations with partners and allies worldwide in the days following the elections, and while countries used different approaches in their responses, none concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes in this election.
"Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the US and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election," Blinken declared.
The US Secretary of State congratulated González on his successful campaign. In his view, it is now time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition of power under local laws and the will of the people.
Controversial elections in Venezuela and protests
Recently, protests erupted in Venezuela over the presidential election results, with the government declaring incumbent President Nicolás Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote.
The Venezuelan opposition has accused the authorities of vote counting fraud. Protesters demanded that Maduro concede defeat. International observers and the Carter Center stated that the election did not meet international standards of fairness.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that the European Union cannot recognize the election results in Venezuela until all votes are counted and protocols are provided.
On August 1, Maduro himself called for a review of the election results by a court under his control.
