US, Latin America Recognize González as Venezuela Winner

The United States and several Latin American countries, including Argentina and Uruguay, have officially recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of Venezuela's July 28 presidential election, rejecting the incumbent Nicolás Maduro's claim of victory. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited 'overwhelming evidence' that González won the election, despite the National Electoral Council declaring Maduro the victor with 51% of the vote. The opposition, supported by independent polling and tally sheets, claims González secured more than two-thirds of the votes. The disputed election has led to international calls for Maduro to release detailed vote counts and has sparked protests and violence within Venezuela. Opposition leader María Corina Machado's headquarters were raided, and she has gone into hiding amidst threats of arrest.