US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared opposition candidate Edmundo González the winner of Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, stating that Washington reached this conclusion based on ‘overwhelming evidence.’
Venezuelan electoral authorities announced on Sunday night that with 80% of the votes tallied, Nicolás Maduro had won with 51.2% of the votes. Since then, they have not provided a complete tally, raising fraud suspicions from the United States, which had exercised caution until receiving detailed polling station data that Caracas has not provided.
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States, and most importantly to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo González Urrutia won the majority of votes in Venezuela’s presidential election on July 28,” Blinken said in a statement.
The United States called on the parties involved in Venezuela’s crisis to address a transition process that respects the outcome of the election and said it would support a process to ‘restore democratic norms’ in Venezuela.
Earlier in the week, the United States requested access to polling station records before making a statement and has been in contact with Brazil. This culminated in a call between US President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, urging transparency and detailed results from Maduro’s government.
On Thursday, Blinken announced that he considers the tally presented by the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, valid. The opposition’s data, representing 80% of polling stations, shows that González Urrutia ‘received the majority of votes with an insurmountable margin,’ making him the election’s winner.
Blinken noted that the records were ‘received directly from polling stations across Venezuela’ and corroborate exit polls, independent observers’ conclusions, and quick counts.
“Since Election Day, we have consulted extensively with partners and allies around the world, and while each country has taken different approaches in response, none has concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the majority of votes,” the US Secretary of State concluded.
Blinken pointed out that the ‘rapid’ declaration by the National Electoral Council (CNE) announcing Maduro’s victory on Sunday ‘came without any supporting evidence,’ and the body ‘has not published disaggregated data or any records yet,’ despite international calls to do so.
The Secretary of State noted that the Carter Center’s observation mission ‘has stripped the CNE’s announced results of all credibility.’
The Venezuelan opposition determined, based on independently obtained records, that Edmundo González received nearly 70% of the votes, compared to Maduro’s roughly 30%. EFE
