Caracas: U.S. Recognition of Orutia as President of Venezuela Is a “Ridiculous” Step

Caracas on Tuesday called the U.S. recognition of opposition leader Edmundo González Orutia as the “elected president” of Venezuela a “ridiculous” step, comparing it to Washington’s recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president in 2019.

The Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “a staunch enemy of Venezuela,” took this “ridiculous step by insisting on doing it again (with González Orutia) in a second version of Guaidó, supported by fascists and terrorists under U.S. policy.”

The Venezuelan reaction came after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States recognizes the opposition leader as the elected president of Venezuela. Blinken wrote on platform X, “The Venezuelan people have spoken loudly on July 28 and made (González Orutia) the elected president,” noting that “democracy requires respect for the will of the voters.”

Washington did not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s new term after the July 28 elections.

The opposition accused the regime of rigging the results, asserting that their candidate, Edmundo González Orutia, was the winner. The United States had previously announced that Orutia received the most votes in the election, but did not go as far as to declare him the “elected president.”