MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina recognizes Edmundo González Urrutia as Venezuelan President-elect

Mondino had declared González Urrutia the winner earlier on but Milei's Government exerted some caution until Wednesday

Argentina's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday recognizing Edmundo González Urrutia of the Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) as the “undisputed winner” winner of the July 28 polls in Venezuela, in defiance of the results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) whereby the incumbent Nicolás Maduro had been reelected for the 2025-2031 term.

“The Argentine Republic, as it had advanced in the official communiqué issued on August 2, concludes unequivocally that the undisputed winner of the presidential election that took place in Venezuela on July 28 is Edmundo González Urrutia. The Venezuelan people expressed a majority in favor of his candidacy and the will of the people must be respected,” read the document released by the Libertarian administration.

It became the first confirmation in this regard after admitting on Aug. 2, that it was following “with extreme attention and concern the events in Venezuela to make a definitive pronouncement,” thus correcting a previous posting on X by Diana Mondino recognizing Edmundo González Urrutia as the “legitimate winner and president-elect.”

On Wednesday, Buenos Aires also condemned “the filing of criminal charges against the winning presidential candidate and the main opposition leader, as well as the arbitrary detention of important figures of opposition political parties, journalists and press workers” while requesting the Maduro regime to promptly reconnect the electricity supply to Argentine Embassy in Caracas, which has been cut for over a week now.

Seeking asylum at those premises are six opposition politicians since March. After Argentina's diplomatic mission was expelled, they were left behind under Brazilian care.

“We have asylum seekers there, now under the custody of other countries, and we have to be very careful, beyond what we consider has happened in Venezuela,” Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni had said Tuesday. In addition, the Government of President Javier Milei is considering the possibility of hosting a regional summit in the Argentine capital to discuss the Venezuelan crisis at a date yet to be determined.

In response, Caracas rejected Argentina's decision to hold González Urrutia as the winner.

“Is Argentina the electoral arbiter? What basis does it use to now dispute among themselves rulings that do not correspond to it?” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil wrote on X. He also dubbed Buenos Aires' decision as “erratic and ridiculous.”

Gil also argued that it was all “a plan of global fascism, of the political grotesqueries created by TikTok and that are causing so much damage to [the Venezuelan] people.”

Ten days after the elections, the CNE is yet to publish the minutes attesting to Maduro's alleged victory, as required by law. The case was brought before the Supreme Court (TSJ) to decide.