Joe Biden Fails Venezuelans—Lifts Sanctions Despite Disgraceful Election

Venezuela's Maduro Clings to Power After Rigged Election as US Citizens of Venezuelan Heritage Speak Out Against Biden Administration

Venezuela’s government-controlled National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the July 28 presidential election, but this claim is disputed by Venezuelan citizens and the international community alike.

The National Electoral Council has failed to release vote counts by precincts, as required by Venezuelan law, raising further suspicions about the legitimacy of the process. Maduro's main challenger, Edmundo González Urrutia, has also declared victory, with his party claiming to have at least 80% of the vote tallies ("actas") showing he won 67% of the votes.

The U.S. government, through Secretary of State Antony Blinken, denounced the electoral process and results as "deeply flawed," stating that "the announced outcome does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people." Blinken further emphasized that the U.S. and other nations agree that Nicolás Maduro lost the election, and that Edmundo González Urrutia was the true winner.

Florida's Republican senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, were quick to criticize the Biden-Harris administration for its handling of Venezuela sanctions, arguing that easing sanctions empowered Maduro and enabled him to claim victory. Senator Scott went as far as to accuse the administration of having "blood on their hands." Former President Donald Trump also criticized the lifting of sanctions, ignoring the fact that they were ineffective during his own administration, as Maduro remained in power.

The Biden administration had eased sanctions after Venezuela agreed to hold elections and engage in negotiations with the opposition. However, Latin America experts refute the simplistic notion that lifting sanctions helped Maduro, instead pointing to the complex dynamics at play. The experts credit the Barbados Agreement, which resulted from these negotiations, for even allowing an opposition candidate to run in the elections and providing an opportunity for democratic change.

Venezuela's history of boycotting elections and internal fragmentation within the opposition makes the recent unity and participation significant. The experts emphasize that without external incentives, the Maduro government might not have allowed a genuine election process at all.

As Venezuelans took to the streets to protest the election results, with at least 11 lives lost and over 700 people detained, the international community must not turn a blind eye to this struggle for democracy. The Biden administration has expressed support for re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela, but concrete actions are needed to demonstrate this commitment and hold Maduro accountable for his undemocratic grip on power.