The United States recognized the opponent of the president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González for the winner of the country's disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro's claims of victory, reports Reuters.
"In light of 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 the July 28 presidential election in Venezuela," said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
The announcement from Washington did little more than congratulate Gonzalez on his successful campaign, the closest the US has come to recognizing Gonzalez as the OPEC nation's new leader since Sunday's disputed election.
The dispute over the results of the presidential election has sparked protests in Venezuela. Venezuela's electoral council declared Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51% of the vote.
But the opposition says its count of about 90 percent of the vote shows Gonzalez received significantly more support than the current president, according to independent polls conducted before the election.
The opposition has posted detailed results on a public website, while the government has so far not shared any information beyond the national vote total for each candidate.
Blinken's statement did not include threats of new sanctions against Venezuela, but hinted at possible "punitive measures".
Venezuelan abroad continued to protest the controversial outcome of the presidential election in their homeland, "We fully support the process of restoring democratic norms in Venezuela and are ready to consider ways to strengthen them together with our international partners," said Blinken. He also called for protection and safety for opposition leaders.
"Law enforcement and security forces must not become an instrument of political violence used against citizens exercising their democratic rights," he added.
The presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia have called on Venezuela to release detailed election results amid a dispute over the outcome of the presidential election.