The Biden administration has recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the country's new president, as the Maduro government still has not presented data to back its claim to have won the elections.
"Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Same as several other members of the international community, the U.S. had been urging the Venezuelan government to release granular data from voting stations, but to no avail. Regional power brokers Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are also among those urging Maduro to do so, although they have not recognized a winner.
Maduro, on his end, quickly reacted to the announcement saying that the U.S. "needs to keep its nose out of Venezuela."
The Biden administration had warned on Wednesday that its "patience" was "running out on waiting for the Venezuelan electoral authorities to come clean and release the full, detailed data on this election so everyone can see the results."
In the meantime, over a dozen people have reportedly been killed amid the protests against the government, as Maduro ramps up repression.
The UN Fact-Finding Mission reporting on Venezuela released a statement on Wednesday, warning of "human rights violations in the post-electoral context and accelerated reactivation of the repressive machinery". The statement also reads:
"Public order control operations must comply with international human rights standards and norms, according to which the use of force must be proportionate and must be aimed at the protection of life."
Meanwhile, María Corina Machado, arguably the face of the opposition, said on Thursday she has gone into hiding. "I am writing this from hiding, fearing for my life, my freedom, and that of my fellow countrymen, from the dictatorship led by Nicolás Maduro," she said in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal titled "I Can Prove Maduro Got Trounced."
The impassioned article goes on to say that she "could be captured as I write these words", as well as a plea for the international community to step up:
"We Venezuelans have done our duty. We have voted out Mr. Maduro. Now it is up to the international community to decide whether to tolerate a demonstrably illegitimate government. The repression must stop immediately, so that an urgent agreement can take place to facilitate the transition to democracy. I call on those who reject authoritarianism and support democracy to join the Venezuelan people in our noble cause. We won't rest until we are free."
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