1 of 4 | Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres agreed Wednesday to urge Venezuela peacefully restore democratic norms following mass protests over the country’s recent election results. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI |
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Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres agreed Wednesday to urge Venezuela to peacefully restore democratic norms following mass protests over last month's presidential election results.
Blinken spoke with Guterres during a call where they reiterated "their readiness to support an inclusive, Venezuelan-led process towards the re-establishment of democratic norms, in coordination with our international partners," according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The United States last week recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of Venezuela's presidential election, despite the country's state-run election commission declaring President Nicolas Maduro to a third term in office.
"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 in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election," Blinken said Thursday in a statement.
On Wednesday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby reiterated that stance.
"Based on all the evidence presented by the opposition but also civil society, other observers, polling, Mr. González won the most votes, and now Mr. Maduro needs to release the full, detailed voting data without delay to represent the aspirations of the, what, 12 million Venezuelans who turned out to vote," Kirby told reporters.
Guterres agreed, during his call with Blinken on Wednesday, that González had received the most votes on July 28 due to "overwhelming evidence."
Thousands of Venezuelans have protested the election results, calling them rigged and accusing the authoritarian socialist president of electoral fraud. Protesters took to the streets around the presidential palace in Caracas the day after the results were announced.
Opposition parties claim González won 70% of the vote, based on exit polls, despite Maduro being declared the winner at the National Electoral Council. The Maduro government controls the CNE and has not provided proof of victory.
González has rejected the results, as pro-democracy protests have resulted in 1,152 arrests and 11 deaths since the election, according to the Foro Penal human rights group.
On Monday, Venezuela's attorney general opened an investigation into opposition presidential candidate González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for calling on the military and police to sever support for Maduro.
González is under investigation for "falsely announcing a winner of the presidential elections different from the one proclaimed by the National Electoral Council" and openly inciting "police and military officials to disobey the laws," investigators said.
During Wednesday's call, Blinken and Guterres "expressed concerns for the safety and well-being of opposition leaders following the election, and condemned the political violence and repression, indiscriminate arrests and violation of due process."
