After meeting with President Biden at the White House on Monday, Edmundo González, who won Venezuela’s presidential election in July, certified that he is the democratically elected leader of Venezuela and not Nicolas Maduro. To do so, he traveled to Argentina and then Panama with his ballot.
“We elected in a landslide a good man, Edmundo González. We have proof of that victory, and the whole world knows that,” he said. “We won.”
President Maduro’s inauguration ceremony is scheduled for Friday. Venezuelan rebels are calling for mass street protests to peacefully demand the installation of President Maduro, whose mafia-style authoritarian leadership has brought the oil-rich nation to the brink of bankruptcy.
Two Americans arrested on “terrorism” claims in Venezuela on eve of Maduro’s inauguration as president
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. President Maduro said Maria Colina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez should be sentenced to at least 30 years in prison for inciting post-election violence and job hunting. to destabilize his government. (Gabby Ora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“What we need is for all of our institutions to understand that Venezuela is the most important conflict in the Western Hemisphere for our national security,” Machado said over Zoom from his hideout in Venezuela.
“We can be the best ally for the United States in the Americas, first of all because we are also committed to solving the region’s migration problem. And it will happen.” Then they will know that there is a future for their country. ”
Machado sent a message to President-elect Donald Trump: “Venezuela has huge energy potential that will never be tapped…We want to make Venezuela the criminal capital of the Americas.” “We’re going to transform it into the energy center of the Americas. It’s a strong partnership with the United States.”
Gonzalez, who Venezuela elected president in July, also met with Florida’s next national security adviser, Kong Michael Walz, while in Washington. President Maduro warned Gonzalez that he would be arrested if he returned to Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Maduro set for third term amid fraudulent election: ‘Clear violation’
A vote tally is displayed during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, which the opposition claims won in a landslide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, August 28, one month after a disputed presidential vote. Opposition leader Maria Colina Machado. 2024. (AP Photo/Christian Hernandez)
“I want them to realize how important it is to the safety of the American people,” Machado said. “What happens in Venezuela in the coming days, with the resolution of this conflict in Venezuela, depends not only on democracy, the future of our democracy, but also on the future of democracy in the region. I believe that.”
Machado said the fall of the Assad regime in Syria was a wake-up call for military and judicial officials who still support Maduro. On Tuesday, the regime sent secret police forces to surround her family’s home, fly a drone over her mother’s home and kidnap President-elect Gonzalez’s brother-in-law.
“Mr. Maduro has lost everything but fear and repression. He has lost all popular support and legitimacy. He is weakened and isolated internationally. What is left of him? Russia, Iran , Hezbollah,” asked Machado, a Venezuelan lawmaker. .
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has barred opposition leader Maria Colina Machado from running in the country’s presidential election. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Maduro’s government also arrested two Americans the day after Gonzalez met with President Biden at the White House, saying they were mercenaries sent by the U.S. government.
The State Department issued the following statement: “We are concerned about reports of U.S. nationals being detained in Venezuela. We are working to gather further information. Due to privacy and other considerations, we are unable to provide further information regarding these matters. We have no further comment.”Any claims by the United States of involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow Maduro are categorically false, and the United States continues to support a democratic solution to Venezuela’s political crisis. ”
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The State Department spokesperson continued: “President Maduro and his associates have demonstrated in the past that they may detain and imprison U.S. nationals who enter Venezuela without just cause or due process.” , warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela.
Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and is based in the Washington, DC bureau. She joined the network in October 1999 as a correspondent based in Jerusalem.
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