- Maduro accuses US of interference
Venezuelas authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the recognition of opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of the disputed presidential election by the USA. "The United States should keep its nose out of our business, because the sovereign people determine things in Venezuela," the head of state said. "Are the USA perhaps the electoral authority? The fascist demon is the electoral authority?"
The government-loyal electoral authority declared the socialist Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the election on Sunday. However, it has not yet published the detailed results of the individual polling stations. The opposition accuses the government of election fraud and claims victory for González. In addition to the USA, the EU, the Organization of American States, and a number of Latin American countries also doubt the official election result.
According to its own statements, the opposition has the detailed result lists from more than 80 percent of the polling stations. According to these, González received 67 percent of the votes and Maduro only 30 percent. The government-loyal Supreme Court summoned all candidates for today to review and certify the election result. "I will be there," said Maduro. "I submit to the law, the institutions, and the judiciary."
Blinken calls for talks for peaceful transition
The USA has taken a clear stance. "In light of the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, above all, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in the presidential election on July 28 in Venezuela," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. It is now time for the parties in the South American country to engage in talks about a "peaceful transition."
González thanked Washington for the step. "We thank the USA for recognizing the will of the Venezuelan people, reflected in our election victory, and for supporting the restoration of democratic norms in Venezuela," the former diplomat wrote on X.
Maduro accused the opposition of conspiring with the USA against him and planning a coup: "Edmundo González Urrutia is a murderer and a CIA agent." The head of state had already said earlier that González and opposition leader María Corina Machado should be in prison. Machado wrote in a contribution to the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" that she was in hiding and feared for her freedom and her life. In a video distributed via social media, she called for nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, to which entire families should participate.
Maduro: "There will be no forgiveness"
Recently, numerous people have taken to the streets in the South American country to protest against the election result, which they see as manipulated. The police cracked down hard on the demonstrators. According to the independent organization Foro Penal, at least eleven people have died. Moreover, according to official figures, more than 1,200 people have been arrested during the protests and are now to be transferred to high-security prisons. "There will be no forgiveness," said Maduro.
Even Maduro's re-election in 2018 was not recognized by many countries. The then parliamentary president Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president. The USA, Germany, and other countries recognized him, but he could not gain a foothold in the country - above all because the military stood behind Maduro. Even now, the armed forces have again pledged their loyalty to him.
The opposition has submitted the detailed result lists from over 80% of the polling stations to the government-loyal Supreme Court, requesting them to review and certify the election results. However, this action has been taken by the opposition in defiance of the Court of First Instance, which declared President Maduro the winner of the disputed presidential election.
Despite the ongoing discord over the election results, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges both the government and the opposition to engage in talks for a peaceful transition, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic norms in Venezuela.
