US recognizes Maduro’s rival as winner of Venezuelan election
The United States on Thursday night recognized Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo González, as the winner of the country’s disputed election, writes The New York Times.
Mr. Blinken, in a statement, said that “given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes.”
The dispute over the outcome of the presidential election has generated protests in Venezuela. Venezuela's electoral council proclaimed Maduro, who has held power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51 percent of the vote. But the country's opposition says its count of about 90 percent of the vote shows that Gonzalez won more than double the incumbent president, a result similar to that of opinion polls before the election.
The opposition has published detailed tallies on a public website, while the government has so far provided no information other than a total number of votes for each candidate.
