CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥� The U.S. government recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo 骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 as the 鈥減resident-elect鈥� of the South American country on Tuesday, months after President Nicol谩s Maduro claimed to have won the July election.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized 骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 in a post on X in which he also demanded 鈥渞espect for the will鈥� of Venezuelan voters.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden previously said 骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 earned the most votes in the disputed July 28 election but it had fallen short of acknowledging him as president-elect.
Venezuela鈥檚 National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared Maduro the election winner hours after polls closed. Unlike previous presidential elections, electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts.
But from 80% of the nation鈥檚 electronic voting machines and posted them online. 骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 and opposition leader said the voting records showed the former diplomat won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.
鈥淲e deeply appreciate the recognition of the sovereign will of all Venezuelans,鈥� 骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 said in a post on X shortly after Blinken's statement Tuesday. 鈥淭his gesture honors the desire for change of our people and the civic feat that we carried out together on July 28.鈥�
骋辞苍锄谩濒别锄 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with an investigation into the publishing of the vote tally sheets.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yv谩n Gil responded to Blinken's comment with personal attacks.
"In the last days of his government, he should dedicate himself to reflecting on his failures, getting rid of imperial and colonial complexes and going to write the memoirs of how the Bolivarian Revolution made him bite the dust of defeat, just like his predecessors," Gil said of Blinken in a statement, which did not mention election results.
Maduro and electoral authorities have rejected repeated calls from the U.S., the European Union, Colombia, Brazil and other nations to show the detailed vote records that back up the president's reelection.
Swift condemnation of the lack of post-election transparency prompted Maduro to ask Venezuela鈥檚 Supreme Tribunal of Justice, whose members are aligned with the ruling party, to audit the results. The high court reaffirmed his victory.
Experts from the United Nations and the U.S.-based Carter Center, which observed the election at the invitation of Maduro鈥檚 government, determined the results announced by electoral authorities lacked credibility. The U.N. experts stopped short of validating the opposition鈥檚 claim to victory but said the faction鈥檚 voting records published online appear to exhibit all of the original security features.
Earlier in the week, Colombia鈥檚 President Gustavo Petro, who has friendly relations with Maduro, reversed his support for the July elections, calling the vote a 鈥渕istake.鈥�
Petro spoke in an interview with Brazilian news outlet Globo News, which released excerpts online that Petro鈥檚 office shared Tuesday on social media. Petro told the news outlet Monday while visiting Brazil for that he initially was in favor of Venezuela holding the elections, but that he later decided that the vote was not 鈥渇ree.鈥�
鈥淚 think the elections were a mistake,鈥� Petro said. His office did not immediately respond to a request for him to elaborate on the reasons for his change of heart.
Petro, Brazilian and then-Mexican President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador 鈥� all leftists friendly with Maduro 鈥� attempted to make peace as the results came under dispute, but the effort went nowhere.
Venezuela鈥檚 next presidential term begins Jan. 10. Maduro has already received an invitation from the ruling party-controlled National Assembly for a swearing-in ceremony.
___
Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writer Astrid Suarez contributed to this report from Bogota, Colombia.
Regina Garcia Cano And Jorge Rueda, The Associated Press
