Edmundo González Urrutia, the Venezuelan opposition leader who claimed victory over incumbent President Nicolás Maduro in last year's presidential election, met with President Biden on Monday to seek support for removing the incumbent from office.
Biden and González Urrutia met at the White House, and González Urrutia, who headed the main opposition coalition in Venezuela's presidential election in July, said he would remove Maduro by Friday, when the next South American president will be inaugurated. He sought to rally support for Biden's efforts. The semester begins.
“I had a long, fruitful and heartfelt conversation with President Biden and his team,” González Urrutia told reporters. “We, of course, thanked the U.S. government for the support it has given us in this fight to restore democracy in Venezuela. This is a commitment we continue to have and will continue to uphold until the last day of your term as President. The government. “
White House officials said in a statement that the two leaders met to discuss shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.
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In this photo, opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia leads a demonstration against the official election results that declared victory for President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Christian Hernandez)
“President Biden is deeply flawed in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, as evidenced through the collection of vote tallies showing González Urrutia received the most votes by an overwhelming margin.” “The world is inspired by the millions of Venezuelans who bravely voted for democratic change in the United States,” the statement said. “The two leaders agreed that nothing is more important to the success of a democracy than respecting the will of the people as expressed through a transparent and accountable electoral process, and that González Urrutia's electoral victory is a key to the success of democracy. agreed that it should be respected through a peaceful return to governance.
“The two leaders also express their deep gratitude to President Nicolás Maduro and his representatives for their unacceptable and indiscriminate repression against peaceful protesters, (sic) democracy activists, and civil society. We have expressed our concerns,” the statement continued. “President Biden reiterates his support for Venezuela's democratic aspirations, including by working closely with our democratic allies in the hemisphere and around the world, to combat the anti-democratic and repressive actions of President Maduro and his representatives. It emphasized the United States' commitment to continue holding people accountable for their actions.”
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President Biden met with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia on Monday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh/File)
On Saturday, González Urrutia began his tour of the Americas, with stops in Uruguay and Argentina.
Ahead of his visit to Washington, González Urrutia's team called on Venezuelans in the region to gather in front of the Organization of American States offices on Monday.
Congress invited Maduro to serve a sixth term on Friday as González Urrutia continues to seek support to remove his opponent from office. The oath was to take place five months after the National Electoral Council declared Mr. Maduro the winner of the July 28 election, but The Associated Press reported that the council included supporters of Mr. Maduro's party. It was reported that they had gathered.
Unlike in past presidential elections, the election commission did not reveal detailed vote counts. However, opposition parties obtained tabulation sheets from more than 80% of the country's electronic voting machines and posted them online. In addition to the post, opposition parties said the tally showed González Urrutia won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.
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President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela (AP Photo/Ariana Kubijos/File)
As a result, the United States and most European governments reject the official results of the election and consider González Urrutia the rightful winner.
In fact, the Carter Center, which Maduro's government invited to observe the presidential election, said the tally posted online by González Urrutia was legitimate.
The Associated Press reported that Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello was asked about González Urrutia's plans and in response insulted and attacked the politician and threatened to have him arrested.
Cabello claimed that Maduro will be sworn in as president on Friday.
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Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior of Venezuela (Federico Parra/AFP/File)
Cabello said the former diplomat, who he accused without providing any evidence of being a CIA agent, was “a coward.” “He has neither the courage nor the temperament. … Mr. González Urrutia knows that if he sets foot in Venezuela, he will be immediately arrested.”
González Urrutia fled Venezuela for Spain in September after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with an investigation into the publication of election tallies.
Last week, the Venezuelan government also announced a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.
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On Monday, González Urrutia told reporters that his campaign was in contact with President-elect Trump's team.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
