US top diplomat acknowledges Edmundo Gonzalez's victory

The head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, has recognized the victory of the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in the recent presidential elections in Venezuela, held on July 28. In a statement issued on Thursday, Blinken said that "given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, more importantly, to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the majority of the votes."

This announcement comes amid the controversy generated by the declaration of the Venezuelan electoral authorities, who had proclaimed Nicolás Maduro as the winner with 51.2% of the votes and with 80% of the votes counted. However, the lack of a complete count has raised suspicions of fraud by the United States, which is waiting to obtain detailed data by polling station, information that has not yet been provided by Caracas.

In response to the situation, the Venezuelan opposition has claimed to have in its possession copies of more than 80% of the electoral records, indicating that González Urrutia, who participated in place of the disqualified former deputy María Corina Machado, obtained 67% of the votes.

At the same time, President Nicolás Maduro has expressed his willingness to "resume" dialogue with the United States, provided that Venezuelan sovereignty is respected and threats are abandoned. Maduro has made this dialogue conditional on compliance with a memorandum of understanding signed last September, which includes the unblocking of Venezuelan assets and the lifting of sanctions by the United States after the holding of free elections.

On the international level, Colombia has issued a joint statement with Mexico and Brazil, requesting an impartial verification of the electoral results in Venezuela. In addition, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has worked for a negotiation in Venezuela, according to a Colombian government source.

Accusations of fraud have sparked protests in the country since Monday, resulting in at least 11 deaths and a thousand arrests, according to human rights organizations. Nicolás Maduro has blamed María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia for the violence, suggesting that they should "be behind bars."

Faced with the intensification of threats, María Corina Machado has declared that she is in hiding for fear of her safety. In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Machado reaffirms her candidate's victory and calls for protests across the country, urging the population to remain firm and organized.