Washington [US], November 21: The United States on Tuesday recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the president-elect, following elections in July where President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner despite allegations of widespread fraud.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on social media platform X that the Venezuelan people "spoke resoundingly" in July and had made Gonzalez the president-elect.
"Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters," Blinken wrote. Immediately after the election, the US and several Latin American countries said they recognized Gonzalez as the winner of the election and the European Union also questioned the official result.
Gonzalez travelled to Spain in September and applied for political asylum. Previously, a warrant for his arrest had been issued in Venezuela on charges including sabotage, conspiracy and usurpation of functions. After the election on July 28, the loyalist electoral authority declared Maduro, who has been in power for 11 years, as the winner but did not publish the detailed results. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune