Biden Reaffirms US Commitment to Venezuelan Transition in Meeting with Opposition Leader Venezuela: Judge issues arrest warrant for opposition leader …”>Edmundo González
In a significant political move, Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia met with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday. This event comes just days before Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in for another term as Venezuela‘s president, a move widely criticized by the international community.
González, who is recognized as the president-elect by the US and several other Western nations, described the meeting as "long, productive, and cordial." He expressed gratitude for Biden’s commitment to a peaceful and orderly transition in Venezuela. The opposition leader also revealed that his team is in contact with the incoming US administration of Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20. Trump has not yet clarified his policy towards Venezuela.
Sharing details of the meeting on Twitter, González stated, "I had a long meeting with President Biden. His commitment to a peaceful and orderly transition in Venezuela remains unchanged." He also mentioned that during the 45-minute meeting, they discussed the positive impact the expansion of democracy from Venezuela would have on the region.
Before his meeting with Biden, González had a productive discussion with Mike Waltz, Trump’s designated advisor for national security. Waltz assured González that the US, along with the rest of the world, would closely monitor the situation in Venezuela.
González, who was the opposition’s candidate in Venezuela’s presidential elections last July, is recognized as the country’s legitimate president by the US and many other nations due to the allegations of irregularities in the elections. Maduro’s victory was proclaimed by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, which is aligned with the government. However, the opposition published more than 80% of the voting actas (minutes), which showed a clear victory for González.
González, who sought political asylum in Spain and left Venezuela in September amid a wave of arrests targeting opposition activists, has stepped up his international activities in the run-up to Maduro’s swearing-in. He was received by Argentine President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires last Saturday, where he was greeted by a cheering crowd from the balcony. On Sunday, he met with outgoing Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou in Montevideo.
Tensions are running high as the January 10 inauguration date approaches, with the US being one of the countries that have consistently supported the Venezuelan opposition. However, it remains unclear whether Trump will continue the hardline policy against Maduro that marked his first term, during which he imposed severe sanctions on the Venezuelan state and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s legitimate president. Attempts to remove Maduro from power proved unsuccessful.
- BBC América
