BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Months after Venezuela’s contentious elections, the United States remains steadfast in recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González as the President-elect of the economically beleaguered South American nation.
Following the July elections, the U.S. has supported the exiled leader amid widespread calls for transparency. Many world leaders demand the release of the electoral vote count, which they believe would confirm González's victory and show President Nicolás Maduro's defeat by a significant margin.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated: "The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made @EdmundoGU the president-elect. Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters."
The Biden administration has consistently asserted that González won, despite the Maduro government’s refusal to release the official results. During a State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted the ongoing lack of transparency, stating that for months, Maduro has had ample opportunity to provide evidence of his claimed victory. Instead, he continues to avoid releasing the electoral data.
Maduro has faced increasing international pressure to release the results and halt his prosecution of opposition members. Miller added: "we did not see any evidence to support that and saw evidence to the contrary, and we have been calling on him for a number of months along with other countries in the region, other countries around the world, to produce results. He has not produced the results! He has not produced the evidence, and so at this point we thought it was appropriate to note that Edmundo González not only won the most votes but, as a product of winning the most votes, is the president-elect of Venezuela"
Critics have questioned whether the Biden administration’s heightened pressure on Maduro is tied to the nearing end of its term. Addressing these concerns, Miller clarified: "It has nothing to do with us being at the end of the administration. It has to do with the fact that we were letting some time go by to see if the international pressure that other countries and the United States were putting on Maduro would – would lead to a change in posture on his part.”
As of now, there is no indication if or when the Maduro administration will release the electoral results. Additionally, neither the U.S. nor the international community has announced any further measures to compel Maduro to disclose the vote count.
González remains in exile in Spain after seeking asylum in the wake of a Venezuelan court issuing arrest warrants for him and other opposition leaders. Since the elections, Maduro has intensified his crackdown on political opponents, further deepening Venezuela's political crisis.
.png)