Blinken and Guterres Call for Democracy in Venezuela

On August 7, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres jointly urged Venezuela to restore democratic norms following widespread protests against the recent presidential election results. The U.S. has recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate winner of the July 28 election, despite the state-run election commission declaring President Nicolás Maduro the victor. Blinken emphasized the "overwhelming evidence" supporting González's claim to victory, urging Maduro to release detailed voting data to reflect the will of the Venezuelan electorate. Protests erupted in Venezuela after the election results were announced, with demonstrators accusing Maduro of electoral fraud. Opposition parties assert that González secured approximately 70% of the vote based on exit polls, while the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council has not provided evidence to substantiate its claims. The protests have led to significant unrest, resulting in over 1,150 arrests and at least 11 fatalities, according to the human rights organization Foro Penal. In a troubling development, Venezuela's attorney general has initiated an investigation into González and fellow opposition leader María Corina Machado for allegedly inciting military and police defiance against Maduro. González faces accusations of falsely declaring himself the election winner and inciting insubordination among security forces. During their conversation, Blinken and Guterres expressed deep concerns for the safety of opposition leaders and condemned the political violence, repression, and violations of due process occurring in Venezuela.