WASHINGTON – The Biden administration shared their concerns Tuesday over the recent Venezuelan presidential election results, questioning the legitimacy of incumbent Nicolas Maduro’s declared victory and calling for transparency from Venezuela’s electoral authorities.
The first question in Tuesday’s White House briefing focused on Venezuela’s presidential election, following the announcement that incumbent Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner, a result that the Biden administration says sparked “serious concerns.”
“The U.S. applauds the Venezuelan people for their courage, commitment to democracy by participating in this election in the face of oppression and adversity,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Jean-Pierre stated that the U.S. is calling for transparency, which President Joe Biden addressed during his phone call with his Brazilian counterpart, as countries press Venezuela’s election officials to share a detailed tabulation of votes.
The National Security Council released a statement saying, “We continue to call for Venezuela’s electoral authorities to release full, transparent, and detailed voting results, including by polling station.”
Jean-Pierre added, “This is especially critical given that there are clear signs that the election results announced by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.”
“Maduro and his representatives declared themselves the winner of what we believe is a national election that was undermined by democratic actions, political repression, and electoral manipulation,” said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.