The opposition calls for the recognition of Edmundo González

The Venezuelan opposition is betting on international recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia as “president-elect.”

The National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 elections, without showing the detailed table-by-table count as required by law. It argued that its systems were hacked, which was dismissed by experts and the opposition, which for its part says it has proof of the victory of Edmundo González Urrutia, against whom there is an arrest warrant for “conspiracy.”

“The world knows that Edmundo González is the president-elect and that Maduro was defeated by a landslide,” Machado said in a virtual forum with the U.S. organization Americas Society/Council of the Americas based in New York.

“We have reached a point where we need to move forward, as I said, and this is a moment when Edmundo González must be recognized as the elected president of Venezuela,” added the opposition leader, who spoke from hiding in Caracas.

The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognize Maduro’s reelection but have been careful to use the term “president-elect” for González Urrutia, who is also in custody.

In Europe, for example, countries agree in not recognizing Maduro’s proclaimed electoral victory, but without reaching unanimity to attribute the electoral victory for the opposition.

A worrying precedent is the broad recognition that Juan Guaidó obtained as “interim president” in 2019, after Maduro’s first re-election the previous year: the leader – now in exile – was given control of vast resources abroad but never managed to control real power, much less the fall of the leftist ruler. He vanished four years later.

The United States then launched a series of sanctions against Venezuela, including an oil embargo that has been relaxed in recent years.

Given the current electoral scenario, Washington said it is considering “options” against Maduro.

Meanwhile, efforts by Brazil and Colombia to reach a peaceful solution are fading. The powerful Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, denied a meeting between Maduro and the presidents of those countries to mediate the crisis.