The United States announced on Tuesday, November 19, that it recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the elected president of Venezuela. An announcement immediately qualified as « ridicule » pair Caracas.
“The Venezuelan people spoke out resoundingly on July 28 and made @EdmundoGU [Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia] the president-elect »wrote the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on the social network X. “Democracy requires respect for the will of voters”he added from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) where he participated in the G20 summit alongside President Joe Biden.
The United States has not recognized Nicolas Maduro's victory in the July 28 presidential election, in which he was proclaimed winner by the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court, considered to be under the orders of those in power. Crying fraud, the opposition claimed the victory of its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
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Washington went so far as to say that the latter had won the greatest number of votes but this is the first time that the United States has spoken openly about “president-elect”. “We deeply appreciate the recognition of the sovereign will of all Venezuelans. This gesture honors our people's desire for change and the civic gesture we made together on July 28.”wrote in response Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia, also on X.
Trump takes a hard line against Nicolas Maduro
Since the contested re-election of Nicolas Maduro, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has taken refuge in Spain and the leader of the opposition, Maria Corina Machado, lives in hiding. In Rio on Monday, the head of American diplomacy met with several of his Latin American counterparts where the situation in Venezuela was discussed, according to a press release from the State Department.
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This American recognition comes in the midst of a transition of power in the United States before Donald Trump takes office on January 20. He named Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio as head of diplomacy, who will be the first Hispanic to hold this position and is in favor of a hard line against Venezuela and Cuba.
During his first term (2017-2021), Donald Trump imposed a policy of maximum pressure to try to oust President Maduro from power.
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