BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- AMID ongoing turmoil in Venezuela following the disputed general elections of July 28, leaders from several Latin American countries remain in constant contact with both President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González.
Protests have led to at least 20 deaths, and reports indicate that the Maduro government is arresting and jailing opposition members who challenge his hold on power.
The United States has reiterated its stance that it believes the opposition candidate, González, won the majority of votes in the recent elections. According to the Election Council, Maduro officially won with 51 percent of the vote, while González received 46 percent.
“We have made clear that he received the most votes in the election, and we think if you look at the results that were obtained by the opposition and made public by the opposition, they confirm that even if Maduro were to win every vote of those outstanding, it wouldn’t be enough to close the gap,” Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday.
Miller emphasized that the US supports an inclusive Venezuelan-led process to restore democratic norms, in coordination with international partners. Despite this, Maduro maintains a tight grip on the country.
Reports from Caracas indicate that the government has ordered the arrest of González and another opposition figure, María Corina Machado, and has been violating the civil rights of many opposition supporters. Additionally, the government is cracking down on social media posts and the use of WhatsApp.
The United States views these actions as infringements on the right to freedom of expression. Miller highlighted that such measures undermine confidence in the "proclaimed" victory. “So we’re going to continue to discuss these issues with people in Venezuela. As I said, this ultimately needs to be a Venezuelan-led process to discuss how to return to democratic norms, and we’re going to talk to – talk about it with our partners in the region,” Miller added.
Miller expressed sympathy for the opposition leaders, noting that they have long endured such challenges. "They have shown great courage in continuing to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, their rights to political organization, and we’re going to continue to support them in doing that. And again, as we have made clear and we hope others in the region will make clear, steps to crack down on the opposition, who are just exercising fundamental political freedoms, including the right to have an election respected and have the results of an election respected – that crackdowns are something that are – that everyone in the hemisphere should oppose.”
Since the election results were announced, Maduro has received congratulations from various allies, including some in the Caribbean region. However, this has raised concerns as many Latin American countries have called for the release of the official data from the Election Council.
