US recognizes Maduro’s opponent as Venezuelan election winner

WASHINGTON — The United States recognizes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro’s claim of victory.

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says in a statement.

The announcement from Washington doesn’t go beyond congratulating him for a “successful campaign,” the closest the US has come since Sunday’s contested election to recognizing Gonzalez as the OPEC nation’s new leader.

The dispute over the presidential election results has sparked protests in Venezuela. Venezuela’s electoral council proclaimed Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51 percent of the vote.

But the country’s opposition says its tally of about 90% of the votes shows that Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president, in line with independent polling conducted before the contest.

The opposition has released detailed tallies on a public website, while the government has so far not shared any information beyond a national total of votes for each candidate.

The statement from Blinken stops short of threatening new sanctions on Venezuela but he hints at possible “punitive action.” On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Washington was considering fresh sanctions following the disputed election.