US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that there is “overwhelming evidence” that Venezuela’s opposition won the recent presidential election. Blinken’s statement asserted that Edmundo González received the most votes, despite incumbent President Nicolás Maduro’s disputed victory declaration.

“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 28 July presidential election,” Blinken said.

This statement comes amid calls from the presidents of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia for Venezuela to release the full details of last Sunday’s election. The government-controlled electoral council announced that President Maduro had won a third term, a result immediately contested by the opposition. They claim to have access to the majority of receipts from electronic voting machines nationwide, indicating a false result.

The opposition’s vote tally suggests a wide-margin victory for González, consistent with pre-election opinion polls favoring the challenger. President Maduro has accused foreign governments of interfering in the election and denied allegations of electoral fraud, claiming that the opposition is attempting a coup by disputing the results.

Maduro’s declared victory has sparked deadly protests in Caracas and drawn global criticism, with many governments demanding that the Venezuelan government provide proof of the election outcome.