US Secretary of State, UN head hold phone discussion around Venezuelan elections

(MENAFN) On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a phone conversation, during which they expressed their support for a Venezuelan-led process aimed at restoring democratic norms following the presidential election. The US has claimed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the election, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Miller's readout of the call highlighted that Blinken noted Gonzalez received the most votes on July 28, citing overwhelming evidence from the actas, or official records, that indicated Gonzalez's victory over incumbent President Nicolás Maduro. Both Blinken and Guterres raised concerns about the safety and well-being of opposition leaders post-election, condemning the political violence, repression, and violations of due process that have occurred.

Blinken also expressed appreciation to Guterres for his efforts in encouraging dialogue between Venezuelan parties towards a peaceful transition to democratic norms. Despite this, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council's official results showed Maduro securing 51 percent of the vote, with Gonzalez receiving 44 percent. These results have been contested by the opposition.

Blinken pointed out that the election council had not yet published detailed vote data, whereas the opposition had released more than 80 percent of the tally sheets from polling stations across Venezuela. He reiterated that the available evidence strongly supports the view that Gonzalez won the majority of votes in the July 28 election.

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