The U.S. authorities has acknowledged Edmundo Gonzalez as Venezuela’s president-elect, months after the nation’s presidential election in July. President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have received the vote, regardless of the opposition accumulating and posting tally sheets that confirmed Gonzalez defeating him in a landslide. (AP)
Our Take
At first look, the Biden administration’s recognition of Gonzalez as president-elect could appear to be a logical, graduated step in its response to Venezuela’s stolen election. In spite of everything, the U.S. had already acknowledged that Gonzalez had earned extra votes than Maduro, and in September, Washington imposed sanctions on Maduro allies it mentioned had been concerned in election fraud.
The U.S. additionally has some reputational stake in Venezuela’s political disaster, because it had relaxed sanctions on Caracas to facilitate a pre-election deal between the Maduro regime and the Venezuelan opposition that was meant to make sure a free and truthful vote. Even when there have been no higher alternate options out there, many critics warned on the time that the deal was certain to fail. Now that it has, the Biden group in all probability doesn’t need to be seen as doing nothing to reply.
