US says Nicolas Maduro opponent Edmundo Gonzalez won the Venezuela election

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and his wife Mercedes Lopez. Photo / Getty Images

The United States has recognised Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro’s claim of victory.

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday.

The announcement from Washington did not go beyond congratulating him for a “successful campaign”, the closest the US has come since Monday’s contested election to recognising Gonzalez as the Opec nation’s new leader.

Electoral data overwhelmingly demonstrate the will of the Venezuelan people: democratic opposition candidate @EdmundoGU won the most votes in Sunday’s election. Venezuelans have voted, and their votes must count.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 2, 2024

The dispute over the presidential election results has sparked protests in Venezuela. Venezuela’s electoral council proclaimed Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the election with 51 per cent of the vote.

But the country’s opposition says its tally of about 90 per cent of the votes shows Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president, in line with independent polling conducted before the contest.

The opposition has released detailed tallies on a public website, while the Government has so far not shared any information beyond a national total of votes for each candidate.

The statement from Blinken on Friday stopped short of threatening new sanctions on Venezuela but he hinted at possible “punitive action”. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Washington was considering fresh sanctions after the disputed election.

“We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners,” Blinken said.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro maintains he won the country's election legitimately. Photo / Getty Images

Blinken also urged that opposition leaders be protected and kept safe.

“Law enforcement and security forces should not become an instrument of political violence used against citizens exercising their democratic rights,” he said.

The presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia called for Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies on Friday amid the dispute over presidential election results.