President Biden on Monday met with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González at the White House ahead of Venezuela’s Friday inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for his third term after their highly-contested election, a White House official tells CBS News.
The United States and many European countries have rejected Maduro’s claim of winning the election, which was certified by Venezuela’s Supreme Court in August. In November, the U.S. government recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the president-elect.
González’s White House visit is the first stop on an international tour of defiance to Venezuelan inauguration and gathering of international support. He has been living in exile in Spain since a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant following the July presidential election.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared Maduro the election winner hours after polls closed. Electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts, unlike previous presidential elections.
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Ahead of the elections, the United States made a bargain with the Maduro government that the U.S. would temporarily lift some sanctions on Venezuelan oil and gas in exchange for a commitment for a free and fair election.
The Maduro regime did not uphold its end of the agreement and sanctions were reinstated. In September, the U.S. sanctioned 180 Venezuelan officials for not accepting the results of the election and committing human rights abuses including killings, repression, and mass detention of protesters.