In Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “serious concerns” about the outcome of Venezuela’s recent presidential election, where incumbent Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner. Blinken emphasized that the U.S. believes the election result does not accurately represent the will or votes of the Venezuelan people. He called for election authorities to release the complete results openly and promptly, warning of potential responses from the U.S. and the global community.
Blinken highlighted the need for every vote to be counted fairly and transparently, urging electoral officials to share information promptly with both opposition groups and independent observers. The Secretary of State emphasized that the international community is closely monitoring the situation and will react accordingly to ensure transparency and fairness in the election process.
The Venezuelan National Electoral Council, overseen by Maduro loyalists, announced the election results after a delay, declaring Maduro as the winner without disclosing specific polling booth numbers. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from participating in the election, claimed that based on information gathered from campaign representatives at 40% of the nationwide ballot boxes, the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, had a significant lead.
