Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia met with President Biden at the White House on Monday to seek support in removing incumbent President Nicolás Maduro from office. González Urrutia, who claimed victory in last year's presidential election, emphasized the importance of democratic recovery in Venezuela during the meeting.
President Biden and González Urrutia discussed their shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela. They highlighted the need to respect the will of the people as expressed through transparent and accountable electoral processes. Both leaders expressed concerns over Maduro's repressive actions against protesters and civil society.
González Urrutia has been touring the Americas to garner support, with stops in Uruguay and Argentina before his visit to Washington. The National Assembly has invited Maduro to be sworn in for a sixth term on Friday, despite opposition claims of electoral fraud.
The opposition, backed by the U.S. and European governments, maintains that González Urrutia won the election by a significant margin. The Carter Center, invited to observe the election by Maduro's government, confirmed the legitimacy of the tally sheets posted by the opposition.
In response to González Urrutia's efforts, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello threatened the opposition leader with arrest, calling him a 'coward' and accusing him of being a CIA agent. González Urrutia, who fled to Spain in September, faces arrest in Venezuela over the publication of election tally sheets.
Despite the challenges and threats, González Urrutia remains committed to his campaign for democratic change in Venezuela. The ongoing political turmoil underscores the deep divisions within the country and the international community's stance on the legitimacy of the election results.
