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The U.S. Issues Contradictory Statements on Venezuela
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the president-elect of Venezuela without evidence
Just one day after the Organization of American States (OAS) failed to pass a resolution against Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. Department of State (State), through a statement on Thursday from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is recognizing, without publicly available evidence, Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of last week’s presidential election in Venezuela.
“We congratulate Edmundo González Urrutia on his successful campaign. Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people,” Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken
However, minutes before Blinken’s seemingly hasty declaration, State’s Spokesperson Matt Miller issued a separate and contradictory media note released by the G7 seeking a resolution to the election by asking the Venezuelan government to share all relevant information surrounding the election with independent and opposition observers.
“We call on relevant representatives to publish the detailed electoral results in full transparency and we ask electoral representatives to immediately share all information with the opposition and independent observers. As the process unfolds, we call for maximum restraint in the country and for a peaceful, democratic, and Venezuelan-led solution,” Office of the Department of State Spokesperson Matt Miller
Miller’s statement is void of any declarations and sends a message of seeking a diplomatic solution while Blinken’s statement seemingly lays the groundwork for foreign intervention. The declaration by Blinken only cites opposition statements without citing any proof or holding the opposition to the same standard as they are setting for Maduro.
“Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela. Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an…
