Venezuela: US Protests Nicolas Maduro’s Victory Claim, Cites ‘Electoral Manipulation’

Nicolas Maduro’s claim of victory in the Venezuela reelection process was devoid of “any credibility,” according to the Biden administration’s statement on Monday, which also left open the possibility of new sanctions against the OPEC member.

The official vote count was questioned by the US and several other governments. Edmundo Gonzalez, Maduro’s opponent, claimed to be the real victor.

Washington’s response to the disputed poll, in which Venezuela’s electoral authorities declared that Maduro had won a third term and therefore extended 25 years of socialist party control, was stepped up by senior US officials.

Independent exit polls predicted an overwhelming victory for the opposition.

Senior aides to President Joe Biden publicly demanded that Maduro release a comprehensive vote tallying, and US officials echoed their requests and declared that the international community would not accept the declared outcome if they did not act.

The officials stated that Washington would review its sanctions policy on Venezuela in light of any further acts taken by Maduro, but they did not announce any new harsh measures.

In response to an agreement between Maduro and opposition groups in October, Washington, which denounced Maduro’s 2018 reelection as fraudulent, significantly loosened sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector. However, the United States reinstated the sanctions in April, citing Maduro’s breach of electoral pledges.

The officials stated that Washington would review its sanctions policy on Venezuela in light of any further acts taken by Maduro, but they did not announce any new harsh measures.

“We are faced with potentially a new scenario. We are going to take that into account as we map forward where we may head with respect to sanctions toward Venezuela,” an official said.

“By engaging in repression and electoral manipulation, and by declaring a winner without the detailed precinct by precinct polling results … Maduro representatives have stripped the supposed election results they announced of any credibility,” another official said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”