Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said there was “overwhelming evidence” that Edmundo González had won, despite President Nicolás Maduro’s claim of victory.
The United States on Thursday night recognized Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo González, as the winner of the country’s disputed presidential election.
The announcement, by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, comes despite a claim by the country’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, and by the government-controlled electoral body, that Mr. Maduro won the vote.
Mr. Maduro has yet to produce clear evidence of a victory, and election officials have failed to provide a vote count. Mr. González’s campaign says that it has receipts from more than 80 percent of voting machines that indicate that he won the election by an insurmountable margin.
While some leaders have voiced support for Mr. González in recent days, the United States is the largest nation to recognize him as the winner in Sunday’s vote.
The decision is sure to anger Mr. Maduro, who has long characterized Washington as a meddling imperialist power. But it’s unclear if the announcement will have any effect on Mr. Maduro’s grip on power.
Mr. Blinken, in a statement, said that “given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes.”
“We congratulate Edmundo González Urrutia on his successful campaign,” Mr. Blinken continued. “Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law.”
The candidacy of Mr. González, who is backed by a popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, represented the most significant electoral threat to Mr. Maduro’s power since he took office in 2013.
The movement that Mr. Maduro leads, known as Chavismo, has controlled the country for 25 years, since the election of President Hugo Chávez. Under their leadership the government has become increasingly authoritarian, arresting dissidents, crushing protests through force and crafting elections in favor of the ruling party.
In Venezuela in recent days, angry supporters of Mr. González have taken to the streets to protest, leading to a crackdown by security forces and armed pro-government gangs. At least 17 people died, according to a human rights group, Foro Penal, and interviews conducted at a morgue by The New York Times. About 750 people have been arrested, according to the country’s attorney general.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
