MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru's gov't recognizes González Urrutia as winner of Venezuelan elections

Maduro wants to stay in power forever through a dictatorship, González Olaechea stressed

The Peruvian government of President Dina Boluarte Tuesday recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president-elect of Venezuela, despite the announcement by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Sunday in Caracas that Nicolás Maduro had been voted by 51.2% of the people for the 2025-2031 term against 44.2% for the challenger. “Clearly Edmundo Gonzalez is the elected president of Venezuela; this position is shared by numerous countries, governments, and international organizations,” said Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez Olaechea.

Peru was one of the countries that did not recognize Maduro's alleged triumph amid highly credible accusations of fraud given that the minutes of each polling station have not been published. But it was the first to formally proclaim that the elections had been as claimed by the Unitary Democratic Platform (PUD) of González Urrutia and disenfranchised leader María Corina Machado.

Peru's Foreign Minister echoed the PUD's camp version that González Urrutia had won “with more than a 30-point difference” and insisted that the Venezuelan Government's stance was based on “absolutely fallacious arguments.”

Gonzalez Olaechea announced earlier that joint actions would be undertaken to support the opposition campaign. “Several countries in the region are coordinating joint actions so that the will of the Venezuelan people expressed yesterday is undoubtedly respected. There is no turning back, no matter how long it takes. Our ambassador to Venezuela, who was recalled for consultations, is leaving Caracas today.” He also referred to Maduro as “a person who wishes to perpetuate himself in power through a dictatorship.”

In the Venezuelan capital, upon hearing of this pronouncement, Maduro referred to González Urrutia as “Guaidó 2.0” in reference to former National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaidó who was appointed interim president in exile but whose shadow administration eventually waned down as the international support it once had gradually vanished.