Several Republican congressmen reiterated their support for Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González during a meeting at the Washington Capitol.
The Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González met this Tuesday in Washington with Republican legislators in Congress, as part of the international tour he is undertaking to several countries to gather political support before January 10, presidential inauguration day in Venezuela.
González, recognized as president-elect of the South American nation by the US and several governments in the region, presented to the congressmen copies of the minutes compiled by the opposition, which ensure that the 75-year-old former diplomat obtained more votes than President Nicolás Maduro, declared winner without evidence by the Venezuelan electoral body.
Among the legislators who met with González were Florida state senator Rick Scott and representative Mario Díaz-Balart, also from the southern territory, where a large part of the Venezuelan diaspora in the US resides.
“Maduro lost the elections, there must be a peaceful transfer of power on January 10, everyone here believes in that. We are hopeful that that is what will happen,” Scott said at a press conference with González.
The former ambassador, exiled in Spain, is in the middle of a tour to gather support within which he has been received by the leaders of Argentina, Javier Milei, Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, and the United States, Joe Biden, with whom he had a “long and fruitful” conversation on Monday.
“It is important that all those who are repressing in Venezuela know that the world is seeing what they are seeing,” said representative Mario Díaz-Balart in Spanish, who, in reference to the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States, assured that Under “the new leadership” of Washington “there will be consequences” for those who “attack and repress” the Venezuelan people and their elected officials.
Edmundo González has reiterated that he will return to Venezuela to take power as the country's legitimate elected president, while Maduro He insisted that he will do the same before Parliamentwith an official majority.
Maduro's government has said it will arrest González and those accompanying him. He has also promised a reward of $100,000 for information leading to his capture.