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Secretary of State Antony Blinken has officially recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the true winner of the Venezuelan presidential election, despite claims by the Venezuelan Government that Nicolás Maduro won.

What Blinken said: In a statement, Secretary Blinken called the election “deeply flawed” and did not “represent the will of the Venezuelan people.” He added, “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.”

Some background: The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela announced that Nicolás Maduro won the July 28 presidential election with 51.2% of the vote. However, the CNE has faced significant criticism for not releasing precinct-level results from the voting machines, raising serious concerns about the transparency and legitimacy of the election process. Despite the claims from the government, opposition tally sheets have indicated that their candidate secured 66% of the vote based on 80% of the tally sheets they recovered.

Other nations speak up: In addition to the United States, many countries have expressed skepticism regarding Nicolás Maduro’s claim of victory. Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru have openly recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner based on evidence provided by the opposition. Additionally, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico have jointly issued statements urging Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to release detailed vote counts and allow for an impartial verification process.

Concerns about the President-elects safety: Concerns for the president-elect’s safety have intensified after a raid on his party’s headquarters by masked assailants. The assailants vandalized and looted the premises, specifically targeting the office of María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader barred from the election by Maduro’s regime. The attack occurred shortly after Secretary Blinken recognized him as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election.