The U.S. government has recognized Edmundo Gonzalez as Venezuela’s president-elect, months after the country’s presidential election in July. President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won the vote, despite the opposition collecting and posting tally sheets that showed Gonzalez defeating him in a landslide. (AP)
Our Take
At first glance, the Biden administration’s recognition of Gonzalez as president-elect may seem like a logical, graduated step in its response to Venezuela’s stolen election. After all, the U.S. had already acknowledged that Gonzalez had earned more votes than Maduro, and in September, Washington imposed sanctions on Maduro allies it said were involved in election fraud.
The U.S. also has some reputational stake in Venezuela’s political crisis, since it had relaxed sanctions on Caracas to facilitate a pre-election deal between the Maduro regime and the Venezuelan opposition that was meant to ensure a free and fair vote. Even if there were no better alternatives available, many critics warned at the time that the deal was bound to fail. Now that it has, the Biden team probably doesn’t want to be seen as doing nothing to respond.