Venezuela opposition leader meets with Biden, speaks to Trump advisor
Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, probable winner in the July 2024 presidential race also recognized by multiple countries as president-elect, said on Monday he had a fruitful meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and spoke at length with President-elect Donald Trump’s security advisor.
“The people of Venezuela deserve a peaceful transfer of power to the true winner of their presidential election,” Biden said on X, saying Gonzalez should be taking the oath of office in four days, when incumbent President Nicolas Maduro is set to officially begin his third term in office.
Gonzalez’s visit to Washington comes as part of a regional tour just days before Maduro, recognized by Venezuela’s top court and electoral authority as the winner of the election, is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 10.
“We had a long, fruitful and cordial conversation with President Biden and his team,” Gonzalez told journalists after meeting Biden at the White House.
The Venezuelan government said in a statement it was “grotesque” that Biden was backing a “violent project” to usurp the country’s democracy.
The opposition has published detailed vote tallies it says show a resounding win for Gonzalez and international observers have said the vote was unfair. The government has not published detailed vote tallies.
Later in the afternoon Gonzalez said on X that he had a long meeting with Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor.
“Among various issues that we discussed about in detail, was the civic protest of Venezuelans this January 9,” Gonzalez added. “He guaranteed that the United States and the world will be alert about what happens in our country.”
Maduro’s government has said repeatedly that the arrest of Gonzalez, who has been living in exile in Spain, will be sought if the opposition leader enters Venezuela.
Source: AP, Reuters