US Says Opposition Candidate Beat Maduro in Contested Venezuela Election
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The United States government said in a statement on Thursday that all available evidence indicated a win for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia over the incumbent Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela's hotly disputed presidential election on July 28.
Key Quote: "The [National Electoral Council (CNE)]’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence," read the statement. "Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela. Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin."
For Context: Maduro has been president of Venezuela since the 2013 death of his predecessor Hugo Chavez and has continued his legacy of socialist populism. Throughout Maduro's tenure, economic conditions and quality of life have deteriorated significantly in Venezuela. The government's declaration of victory in Monday's election set off massive protests across the country. Hundreds of protestors have been arrested.
How the Media Covered It: Sources on the right including New York Post (Lean Right bias) and Daily Wire (Right) called Maduro a "socialist," while left and center sources like Wall Street Journal (Center) and NBC (Lean Left) did not. Left and center sources went into more detail analyzing the responses of other countries and their geopolitical implications, while the right kept the story at a surface level.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Beat Dictator Nicolás Maduro ‘By An Insurmountable Margin,’ U.S. Gov Says
The United States government said in a statement on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia beat socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro during the country’s recent presidential election.
The announcement comes after at least 17 protesters have been killed and hundreds more arrested so far in riots that have broken out over the country’s sham election.
More than 12 million Venezuelans voted during the election, which is run by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE).
“The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no...
From the Center
U.S. Says Opponent of Venezuela’s Maduro Won Presidential Election
WASHINGTON—The U.S. recognized the opponent to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the winner of that country’s disputed presidential election, increasing the pressure on the Venezuelan strongman to step down despite his claim of victory.
The announcement on Thursday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken is the latest escalation of rhetoric from Washington urging Maduro to step aside since last weekend, when polling data indicated he was trounced by his challenger, retired diplomat Edmundo González.
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won...
From the Left
U.S. says Maduro lost Venezuelan election, calls for talks, transition
CARACAS — The United States on Thursday said opposition candidate Edmundo González defeated President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela’s presidential election and called for negotiations to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Maduro claims that he won Sunday’s vote. The opposition, meanwhile, says that the government’s own records, as well as independent exit polls, indicate that González won twice as many as votes. “Given 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 Venezuela’s...
AllSides Picks
September 12th, 2024
September 12th, 2024
More News about Foreign Policy from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
