Venezuela's González Presents Alleged Original Ballot Tallies Ahead of Inauguration Day

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Facts

  • Venezuela's US-recognized Pres.-elect Edmundo González presented on Wednesday alleged original ballot tallies supporting his claims of election win in July as he met with Panama's Pres. José Raúl Mulino in Panama City.[1][2][3]
  • For now, the records that would prove that González secured two-thirds of the vote to defeat incumbent Nicolás Maduro will be kept in Panama. Maduro has officially been declared the winner, with 51% of the vote, but detailed tallies have never been released.[4][5][6]
  • This comes as the exiled opposition presidential candidate left Madrid for a days-long diplomatic tour around the Americas, which included a meeting with US Pres. Joe Biden and Pres.-elect Donald Trump's national security advisor, ahead of the inauguration day on Friday.[1][3][6]
  • While Maduro is all set to be sworn in for a third consecutive six-year term on Friday, González wants to make good on his pledge to take office that day. Details about his plans remain scarce, but former Colombia's Pres. Andrés Pastrana told CNN that nine former Latin American presidents would enter Caracas with González.[2][3][5]
  • Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has warned that González — who currently faces an arrest warrant — and whoever accompanies him would be arrested if he returns to the country. On Tuesday, González claimed that masked men kidnapped his son-in-law in Caracas.[3][7]
  • Caracas deployed a heavy military and police presence on Thursday as opposition protests and pro-government demonstrations are set to take place. Meanwhile, the UN has expressed its concerns over reports of a crackdown on opposition figures and foreign nationals.[6][8][9]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]Newsweek, [3]CNN, [4]Newsroom Panama, [5]Anadolu Agency, [6]Reuters, [7]Al Jazeera, [8]TeleSUR English and [9]BBC News.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Guardian. González is the rightful president-elect of Venezuela, and the voting tallies he presented in Panama prove that. As Maduro and his allies plan to usurp power at the presidential inauguration, the free world must stand firmly with González and put further pressure on Caracas.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Venezuelanalysis. Maduro won the presidential election through proper constitutional channels, and many countries have already recognized him as the legitimate president-elect. It's no surprise, though, that the US and its proxies have sided with González, as installing a puppet regime in Venezuela has long been seen as a way to get its hands on the country's oil.