The leader of the Venezuelan opposition who declared victory over Maduro meets with Biden
leader of the Venezuelan opposition Edmundo González Urrutia, who won last year’s presidential election against incumbent Nicolás Maduro, met with President Biden on Monday to seek support in removing the incumbent from office.
Biden and González Urrutia met at the White House, where the latter, who represented Venezuela’s main opposition coalition in the country’s July presidential election, tried to drum up support for his efforts to remove Maduro from office until Friday, when the South American country’s next president countries. the mandate begins.
“We had a long, fruitful and cordial conversation with President Biden and his team,” González Urrutia told reporters. “We, of course, thanked the United States government for the support it has given us in this fight for democratic recovery in Venezuela. It is a commitment that we carry with us and will continue to follow until the last day of the president’s term in office.”
White House officials said in a statement that the two leaders met to discuss joint efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.
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Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, pictured, leads protests against official election results declaring President Nicolás Maduro the winner in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
“President Biden emphasized that the world was inspired by the millions of Venezuelans who courageously voted for democratic change in Venezuela’s deeply flawed presidential election on July 28, as demonstrated by a collection of vote tallies that showed Gonzalez Urrutia winning the most votes by an insurmountable margin “, the statement reads. “Both leaders agreed that there is nothing more important for the success of democracy than respecting the will of the people, expressed through transparent and responsible election processand that Gonzalez Urrutia’s victory in the campaign should be honored through a peaceful transition back to democratic government.
“Both leaders also expressed deep concern over the unacceptable and indiscriminate use of repression by Nicolás Maduro and his representatives against peaceful protesters, (sic) democratic activists and civil society,” the statement continued. “President Biden reiterated his support for Venezuela’s democratic aspirations and underscored the U.S. commitment to continue to hold Maduro and his representatives accountable for their anti-democratic and repressive actions, including working closely with democratic allies in the hemisphere and around the world.”
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President Biden met with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia on Monday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh/File)
On Saturday, González Urrutia began a tour of America, stopping in Uruguay and Argentina.
Before arriving in Washington, González Urrutia’s team called on Venezuelans in the area to gather outside the offices of the Organization of American States on Monday.
As González Urrutia continues to seek support in removing his opponent from office, the National Assembly called on Maduro to be sworn in for a sixth term on Friday. The swearing-in will take place five months after the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election, although the Associated Press reported that the council was packed with supporters of Maduro’s party.
Unlike in past presidential elections, election officials did not provide detailed information on the vote count. But the opposition obtained vote lists from more than 80% of the country’s electronic voting machines and published them online. Along with the announcement, the opposition said the lists showed González Urrutia won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.
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President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos/File)
As such, the US and most European governments have rejected the official election results and consider González Urrutia the legitimate winner.
In fact, the Carter Center, which was invited by the Maduro government to observe the presidential election, said the lists González Urrutia posted online were legitimate.
The AP reported that Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello was asked about González Urrutia’s plans, to which he responded by insulting and attacking the politician, even threatening to arrest him.
Cabello insisted that Maduro would be sworn in as president on Friday.
Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello (Federico Parra/AFP/File)
“A coward,” Cabello said of the retired diplomat, whom he accused, without offering any proof, of being a CIA agent. “He has neither the courage nor the mood… Mr. González Urrutia knows he will be arrested as soon as he sets foot in Venezuela.”
González Urrutia fled Venezuela to Spain in September after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with an investigation into the publication of electoral lists.
The Venezuelan government also last week announced a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.
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On Monday, González Urrutia told reporters that his campaign had been in contact with President-elect Trump’s team.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
