The United States has expressed its commendation for the Venezuelan populace's participation in the July 28 presidential election, despite facing significant challenges. At least 12 million Venezuelans cast their votes peacefully, exercising a fundamental democratic right. However, the vote processing and result announcement by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) have been criticized as flawed and unrepresentative of the people's will.
The CNE quickly declared Nicolás Maduro as the winner without providing supporting evidence. The council has yet to release disaggregated data or vote tally sheets, despite calls from both Venezuelans and the international community. According to an observation mission by the independent Carter Center, irregularities in the process and a lack of precinct-level official results have undermined the credibility of the announced outcome.
In contrast, Venezuela's democratic opposition has published over 80 percent of tally sheets received directly from polling stations, indicating that Edmundo González Urrutia received a majority of votes by a substantial margin. These findings have been corroborated by independent observers, exit polls, and quick counts conducted on election day. Consultations with international partners reveal no consensus that Maduro secured the most votes.
Based on this evidence, it is clear to both the United States and many Venezuelans that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in the July 28 election.
The United States also rejects Maduro's baseless allegations against opposition leaders and condemns threats to arrest figures such as Edmundo González and María Corina Machado. Such actions are seen as undemocratic attempts to suppress political participation and maintain power. The safety of opposition leaders must be ensured, and all individuals detained for peacefully participating in or demanding transparency in the electoral process should be released immediately. Law enforcement should not be used as a tool for political violence against citizens exercising their democratic rights.
The United States congratulates Edmundo González Urrutia on his successful campaign and urges Venezuelan parties to engage in discussions for a respectful, peaceful transition according to electoral law and public sentiment. The U.S. supports efforts to restore democratic norms in Venezuela and is prepared to collaborate with international partners to reinforce this process.
