President Santiago Peña officially acknowledges Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election
Caracas, Venezuela — Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations with Paraguay on Monday, with Paraguay expelling Venezuela’s diplomats in the country in return, a day after Paraguayan President Santiago Pena expressed support for Venezuela’s opposition.
Pena on Sunday spoke with Venezuela’s opposition leaders and called Edmundo Gonzalez, who is in exile, the winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections last year.
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The opposition has published detailed vote tallies showing Gonzalez’s win, but President Nicolas Maduro was declared winner by the electoral authority and the nation’s top court without presenting such evidence.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has expressed his support for Edmundo González Urrutia, recognizing him as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections held in July 2024.
In a phone call, Peña discussed the political situation in Venezuela with González Urrutia and opposition leader María Corina Machado. “Today, I had a conversation with Edmundo González Urrutia, the winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections, and with María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader to the Nicolás Maduro regime. We analyzed the situation in Venezuela and agreed on the importance of channeling the democratic process in the country,” Peña stated.
Despite these claims, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that Maduro had secured a third consecutive term with 51.2% of the vote, compared to González Urrutia’s 44.2%. The opposition, however, alleges they won with 67% of the vote.
Following the disputed elections, the Venezuelan government withdrew its diplomatic staff from seven Latin American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.
Before his meeting with Pena, Gonzalez Urrutia visited Argentina on Jan. 4, where he met with President Javier Milei. He was also in Uruguay, which reaffirmed its support for Gonzalez Urrutia as president of Venezuela.
Gonzalez Urrutia then traveled to the US, where he spoke with President Joe Biden.
“Today I hosted Venezuela’s President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez, a man whose campaign inspired millions and one who should be taking the oath of office in four days,” Biden wrote on his X account.
The Venezuelan opposition leader plans to visit Panama and the Dominican Republic as part of a regional tour.
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