Panama Backs Venezuela's Edmundo Gonzlez over Nicolas Maduro
NewsweekDEC 25 2024
Venezuela's González Presents Alleged Original Ballot Tallies Ahead of Inauguration Day
Above: Panama's Pres. José Raúl Mulino shows an electoral tally presented by Venezuela's US-recognized Pres.-elect Edmundo González Urrutia as they hold a joint press conference after a meeting at the presidential palace in Panama City, Panama on Jan. 8, 2025. Image copyright: Daniel A. Gonzalez/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The 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.
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.
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.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
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
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.