Argentina recognizes opposition candidates as "legitimate winners" in Venezuela's presidential election
Following the highly contentious presidential election in Venezuela, Argentina has recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the new head of state of the South American country. "We can all confirm without a doubt that the legitimate winner and elected president is Edmundo González," Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino stated on Friday via the online service X.
On Monday, the largely government-loyal electoral authority in Venezuela officially declared incumbent Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election, despite international criticism and fraud allegations from the opposition. Maduro was said to have received 51.2% of the votes, with opposition candidate González Urrutia coming in at 44.2%. Despite demands from the opposition and abroad, the electoral authority did not publish detailed election results.
Argentina and other countries that question the official election results requested an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States, based in Washington. Venezuela then announced that it would withdraw its diplomatic staff from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic. From the perspective of the U.S. government, there is "overwhelming evidence" of an opposition victory.
Maduro ran for a third term of six years in the Sunday election. The 61-year-old declared Marxist is unpopular among many voters due to the country's economic crisis. His power base in Venezuela relies on the military and police, among others.
Maduro's official confirmation sparked mass protests, which security forces violently suppressed. Opposition leader María Corina Machado accused them of killing 20 people in the process. The opposition has called for renewed nationwide protests on Saturday.
The opposition candidates strongly criticized Maduro's victory, calling it a sham and urging international bodies to intervene. The opposition candidates, led by Edmundo González Urrutia, vowed to continue their fight for a fair and democratic election.
