US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declared there is “overwhelming evidence” that Edmundo González won Venezuela’s recent presidential election, despite incumbent Nicolás Maduro’s contested victory.
In a statement, Blinken asserted that it is evident to both the United States and the Venezuelan public that González received the most votes in the 28 July election.
This statement follows calls from the leaders of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia for Venezuela to release the full election details. The government-controlled electoral council had declared Maduro the winner for a third term, but the opposition, which has access to the majority of electronic voting machine receipts, disputes this result. They claim their tally shows a significant victory for González.
Maduro has accused foreign governments of meddling and denied any electoral fraud, dismissing the opposition’s claims as a coup attempt. The announcement of Maduro’s win triggered deadly protests in Caracas and global criticism, with calls for transparency from the US, the EU, and G7 countries.
Blinken’s remarks are notable given the 2018 election’s lack of international legitimacy led to the US recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president and imposing sanctions on Venezuela. Blinken urged Venezuelan parties to engage in discussions for a peaceful transition in line with electoral laws and the will of the people.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who claims to be in hiding, has called for mass protests on Saturday. She contends that González won by a large margin and has evidence from over 80% of polling stations to support this claim. Machado is appealing for international intervention against what she describes as an illegitimate government.
