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Time for Maduro to Accept Election Loss
Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice has ruled that Nicolas Maduro won the July 28 presidential election against democratic opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. “This ruling lacks all credibility, given the overwhelming evidence that Gonzalez received the most votes on July 28,” declared State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel in a statement. In fact, tally sheets by Gonzalez’s campaign and published online show that Maduro lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
In addition, ten Latin American governments have said they “categorically reject” the Venezuelan supreme court’s decision to confirm Nicolas Maduro’s claim to have won re-election. Chilean president Gabriel Boric stated: “I have no doubt this election has been stolen.”
The publicly available and independently verified precinct-level tally sheets show Venezuelan voters chose Edmundo Gonzalez as their future leader. “The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected,” urged Mr. Patel. “Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law, and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.”
The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said its 27 member states would not recognize Maduro’s re-election without seeing “a verifiable result”.
Continued attempts to fraudulently claim victory for Maduro will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis. Indeed, González went into hiding after the July 28 vote as security forces have rounded up more than 2,000 demonstrators and political activists for challenging the official results. He’s been joined underground by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who picked Gonzalez as a stand-in after her own candidacy was disqualified. The United States calls on Maduro to release those who have been detained for exercising their right to free expression.
The United States and the international community will continue to stand up for the Venezuelan voters whose will and rights have been continuously undermined since July 28. As Deputy Spokesperson Patel said, “We stand ready to support an inclusive, Venezuelan-led process to re-establish democratic norms.”