On August 1, the United States officially recognised Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition candidate, as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, dismissing Nicolás Maduro’s claims of victory. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.” 

While the announcement from Washington congratulated Gonzalez on his "successful campaign," it stopped short of formally recognising him as Venezuela’s new leader, marking the closest the U.S. has come to doing so since the contentious election. 

The controversy over the presidential election results has ignited protests across Venezuela. The country's electoral council declared Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, as the winner of the July 28 election with 51% of the vote. 

However, the opposition claims that its tally, which covers approximately 90% of the votes, indicates that Edmundo Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president. This aligns with independent polling conducted prior to the election. 

The opposition has published detailed vote tallies on a public website, while the government has only provided a national vote total for each candidate without additional details. 

In his statement, Blinken did not explicitly threaten new sanctions on Venezuela but suggested the possibility of “punitive action.” “We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and are prepared to explore ways to strengthen this effort in collaboration with our international partners,” Blinken remarked. 

He also emphasised the need to protect opposition leaders and ensure their safety. “Law enforcement and security forces should not be used as tools of political violence against citizens exercising their democratic rights,” he added. 

In response to the election dispute, the presidents of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia called on Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies. 

Image Source: Reuters