US Recognizes Venezuelan Opposition Leader Amid Election Controversy

The US government has recognized Edmundo Gonzalez as Venezuela's 'president-elect' following a disputed July election. Although Gonzalez reportedly accrued the most votes, Venezuela's official electoral council declared current President Maduro the winner. The opposition claims to have evidence supporting Gonzalez's victory, which has been dismissed by Venezuela's government.

The United States has officially recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the 'president-elect' of Venezuela. This recognition comes months after the controversial election in July, which saw current President Nicolas Maduro being declared the victor.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took to social media platform X to express support for Gonzalez, urging respect for the Venezuelan electorate's will. This move follows the Biden administration's earlier statement indicating that Gonzalez received the most votes, though they had not acknowledged him as president-elect at the time.

The election results, announced by Venezuela's National Electoral Council, detected bias as they omitted detailed vote counts. Nevertheless, the opposition collected data from 80% of voting machines, suggesting Gonzalez's win by a significant margin. Details about the vote have been met with skepticism internationally, including by Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, who retracted his initial support for the election results.

(With inputs from agencies.)